“Excessive fines” is a matter of judgement. Would James Madison have considered a fine of $454,000,000 “excessive”? Who is to say?
Mr. Trump, the State of New York alleges you got more loans than you could reasonably repay. We’re going to take $454 million of your profits from those loans away.
Your honor, don’t you think that if I made $454 million profit by borrowing money, I could repay that money?
My only thought is to try to financially break you for getting in the way of international socialism.