"Has enough money"

Billionaires collected money for Trump’s bail

Donald Trump was granted a postponement and a reduction of a security deposit that actually amounted to almost half a billion dollars.(Bild: APA/AFP/ANGELA WEISS)

Former US President Donald Trump was actually supposed to post bail of 454 million US dollars - but at the last minute he was granted a postponement and a reduction in the amount. It has now become known that billionaires had already set up a collection campaign for the Republican. When asked about this, a spokesperson for the Trump election campaign denied it: Trump has "more than enough money".  

The American billionaire and hedge fund founder John Paulson and the oil and gas magnate Harold Hamm were involved in the campaign, the people, who did not wish to be named, told Reuters. Following the decision of an appeals court in New York, the fundraising was no longer necessary.

Billionaires refused to comment
Paulson, the founder of Paulson & Co, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Hamm, the founder of oil company Continental Resources, was asked by phone about his involvement but apparently hung up. A spokesman for Hamm did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters news agency.

Trump spokesman: "Has more than enough money"
The spokesman for the Trump election campaign, Steven Cheung, said on request that there had been no coordinated efforts to raise money. Trump has "more than enough money" to pay the security deposit himself, he said.

Former US President Donald Trump.(Bild: APA/AFP/ANGELA WEISS)

Billionaires also involved in campaign fundraiser
Billionaires Paulson and Hamm are both involved in an upcoming campaign fundraiser for Trump that has nothing to do with the bond effort for Trump. The invitation for the event lists Paulson as host and Hamm as co-chair. The money raised will be used to support the presidential candidate's campaign, the Republican National Leadership Committee and an organization that has already paid part of Trump's legal fees.

Paulson could get ministerial post
According to another person familiar with the matter, Trump has talked about making John Paulson his Treasury Secretary as president.

Ordered to pay security for financial fraud
Trump was sentenced in mid-February to pay 354.9 million dollars plus interest, which will be added on an ongoing basis. On February 23, he was given 30 days - until March 25 - to pay this sum or provide security. The judge considered it proven that the ex-president had overstated his assets in order to defraud lenders. A few hours before the deadline expired, however, an appeals court ruled that the Republican did not have to provide a security deposit of 454 million dollars by midnight as ordered by a lower court. Instead, he has ten more days to provide security of 175 million dollars. As in all his court proceedings, Trump denies any guilt.