Donald Trump has long been notorious for a business strategy that includes extensive legal battle, delay of payment, and then offloading debt onto business entities that are eventually forced into bankruptcy. This stratagem has worked out well for Trump since his business deals in the 1980s, according to reports from USA Today.
In recent times, Trump and his businesses have accumulated hundreds of unpaid judgments and liens totaling millions. These strategies, however, have landed Trump in significant legal trouble, with the most notable being a $355 million civil fraud judgment that Trump has yet to pay.
Despite these ongoing legal battles, there has been a surprising recent development: Trump has paid the sum he owed to The New York Times. This payment came after he had filed a lawsuit against the newspaper for its Pulitzer Prize-winning series on his finances. After the lawsuit was dismissed, Trump was instructed to pay $392,000 in legal fees to The Times, a demand which the newspaper confirmed he has complied with.
Considering that Trump reportedly spent $50 million in legal fees last year, $392,000 is only a minuscule part of his overall expenses. However, the mystery still in the air is the source of this payment—whether it came out of Trump’s pocket or was sourced from his donors.
While this payment to The New York Times might not mark a shift in Trump’s overall approach, it definitely stands as a remarkable event in his history of lengthy legal battles and unpaid debts.