For a year, Democratic prosecutors in one of the bluest states in the nation have worked overtime to bankrupt and imprison Donald Trump.
The civil fraud case against Trump, over loans he repaid in full, was bad. The felony indictment for misclassifying accounting records was worse, built on bizarre legal theories and the testimony of an admitted liar.
With the help of friendly judges, the prosecutors won both. Trump, the Republican leader and the favorite to beat the incumbent Democratic president in November, now faces nearly $500 million in fines and four years in prison – for “crimes” that can barely be explained.