A New York appeals court threw out the massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump , ruling Thursday that the judgment was unconstitutional and violated the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on excessive fines.

The five-judge panel of the Appellate Division said the verdict, which had swelled to more than $515 million with interest, was “excessive.” The ruling comes seven months after Trump returned to the White House, and it represents a major setback for New York Attorney General Letitia James , the Democrat who filed the lawsuit accusing Trump of inflating his wealth.

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