Here’s an interesting spin. One of the biggest blow ups of this past week was when a judge ordered the Trump Organization’s business license canceled and Donald Trump in essence was banned from doing business in the State of New York. But, experts are now saying, he may find a way to work around that. And since Trump loves nothing more than to smash norms and flout convention, he may find a way to survive, yet, by getting one of his kids to be his front man. Or, maybe Melania. Maybe that’s why she’s MIA, she was negotiating this very thing that we’re about to discuss. Newsweek:
“Look, Trump can just transfer all his properties and businesses in NY to Melania. Problem solved,” attorney Ron Filipkowski wrote on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday. “I’m sure he can trust her because she really loves him unconditionally.”
If you know Filipkowski’s account at all, you know that his tongue was jammed so far in his cheek it was coming out his ear while saying this.
Marcel Kahan, a New York University law professor, told the Washington Post that while Donald will “almost certainly” sell off his New York properties, “He could have a company that is owned by Ivanka, or other members of his family. They are not subject to this order.”
Other members like who? Ivanka, if I correctly read which way the wind is blowing, doesn’t want to get involved in this. Trump himself said, “She’s checked out,” after January 6, because she didn’t jump on the Big Lie bandwagon, but went back to Florida. And of course you recall her testimony before the January 6 Committee where she said that she believed that her father had in fact lost the election.
Trump could get Barron involved, because Barron will soon be 18. That might be an interesting spin, an 18-year-old CEO. Think about that. People at eighteen are adults and go to work, and Barron could start out as a CEO. Interesting life path. Or maybe Tiffany. That’s another option.
Trump could also transfer his New York properties to Ivanka, who was originally named as a defendant in the case, but later called as a witness in the case against her father and his company. It remains unclear whether her role in the case was settled by Tuesday’s ruling or if her testimony was used for remaining parts of the case.
But Melania may also be looking to separate herself from her husband. Recent speculation suggests that Melania is looking for more money and property from Donald in the case of a divorce.
This week, Page Six reported that Melania renegotiated her prenuptial agreement with Donald as he and his presidential campaign move closer to the 2024 election and that a trust for their shared son Barron and property are among top items for the former first lady. Those reports also come as Trump is embattled in a number of costly legal fights against his four indictments, the defamation case he lost to columnist E. Jean Carroll and his recent defeat in the Trump Organization civil case.
“Trump may be broke by the time the presidential election is over,” Former federal prosecutor and President of West Coast Trial Lawyers Neama Rahmani told Newsweek. “He lost his defamation case to Jean Carroll and will have to pay more damages for defaming her again. He’s already been found liable in the New York civil fraud case, lost his New York business license and has to dissolve his companies, and may get hit with a judgment of tens or hundreds of millions of dollars.”
And soon, very soon. And now here’s a key point. Mark this well.
“He’s spending tens of millions of dollars to defend himself in four separate criminal cases, and the trials haven’t even started yet. Trump has been a fundraising machine, but that well will dry up if he loses the election again,” Rahmani said.
If Trump loses in 2024, then the only thing he can do is declare that he’ll run in 2028, or the MAGA spigot shuts off for good. Then what will be do?
“It’s not surprising that Melania and Ivanka and protecting themselves and separating their money from the former president. Of course, his creditors may argue that those transfers are fraudulent and designed to avoid paying Trump’s debt if Trump is ever unable to do so himself.”
That was going to be the next point to be raised, is that if the transfer is clearly and obviously done to avoid paying a judgment then it would fail. That’s the main reason I don’t think Ivanka wants to be a part of this. My sense is that she wants to distance herself from her father’s failed presidency and all the radioactive fallout attendant thereon.
These are all possibilities. It’s certainly interesting to speculate. My personal favorite would be to make Barron a CEO right out of high school. Maybe have him answer a phone or learn how a filing cabinet works, or maybe even give him a short bookkeeping course. I’ve always thought that a CEO should at least know the debit column from the credit column in a ledger, but then I have archaic ideas about a lot of things.
And Trump’s justification for that decision would be comical, especially since he’s becoming progressively more and more unglued. Or, it could be Melania as CEO. Same idea, maybe she could run a switchboard for a couple of hours, just to get her toes wet.
Every instinct tells me that if Trump tries this it’s going to get nuts and fast. But he may. He’s desperate and if he thinks he could hang onto Trump Tower by giving it to his wife or youngest child, he very well may.
I’m not sure that any court would accept a “sudden” announcement that Ivanka or Melania or Barron or Tiffany or Mary or anyone else was now the “owner” of the Trump properties/corporations–not without absolute proof (meaning a lot of notarized documentation) proving the transfer(s) had been in the works for weeks or months before the indictment came down.
I believe the properties are already under an overseer, a retired judge, to prevent such fraudulent transfers.
I asked this question in a prior comment, “What is the order of payments in this sort of liquidation?”. In tax sales the government gets their money first and the remaining creditors in some prescribed order. Usually the creditors with collateral I think, or maybe payrolls. I don’t remember. I think people like E Jean Carroll should come next after the government and that a special escrow fund should be established for future plaintiffs seeking damages from Trump and his klan.