Former President Donald Trump was dealt a major blow on Feb. 16; a New York judge has ruled that he must pay a staggering $364 million in a civil fraud case, Vox reported.

The ruling comes after a series of legal setbacks for Trump, including a $355 million penalty in a separate New York fraud case and an $83.3 million defamation judgment in a case brought by writer E. Jean Carroll. These combined damages amount to nearly half a billion dollars, putting Trump in a precarious financial position. Some of his supporters have started a GoFundMe to help Trump pay his legal judgments.

Letitia James, the New York Attorney General leading the case, stated that, including pre-judgment interest, the total judgment surpasses $450 million. She emphasized that this amount will accrue daily until the judgment is fully satisfied.

The civil fraud case centered around allegations that Trump fraudulently inflated his net worth to lenders to secure more favorable loan agreements. The judge found Trump liable for these actions, imposed a hefty penalty and banned him from serving in a leadership position in any New York business for three years.

Trump is already deep in debt. Trump’s financial disclosures, submitted to the Federal Election Commission in the previous year, revealed a debt of at least $200 million. Additionally, Forbes reported that his business carried approximately $1.3 billion in debt in 2021. Trump has been reducing his debt since departing from the White House three years ago, such as paying off a significant portion of the $295 million owed to Deutsche Bank, NBC News reported.

Some caution Trump’s massive debt might be a barrier to running the country if re-elected. A former head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division raised concerns in a 2020 interview with Time magazine about the potential risks posed by individuals with access to classified U.S. information who are also burdened with substantial financial debt.

“For a person with access to U.S. classified information to be in massive financial debt is a counterintelligence risk because the debt-holder tends to have leverage over the person, and the leverage may be used to encourage actions, such as disclosure of information or influencing policy, that compromise U.S. national security,” the source said.

The size of Trump’s cash reserves remains uncertain, especially given conflicting information. In a deposition last year, Trump asserted possession of $400 million in cash, The Daily Beast reported.

Former President Donald Trump in Waco, Texas, March 25, 2023. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)