New York attorney general asks court to hold Trump in civil contempt, fine him $10K per day
Former President Donald Trump in August 2019. Photo from Shutterstock.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has asked a state court judge to hold former President Donald Trump in contempt and fine him $10,000 per day until he turns over subpoenaed documents in her civil probe of his business.
James filed the motion for civil contempt Thursday, report CNN, the Washington Post and the New York Times.
A press release is here, and the motion is here.
James wants Judge Arthur Engoron to impose the fine on Trump for disobeying a court order to produce the documents. Engoron had ordered document production by March 3, but the attorney general’s office extended the date to March 31, when Trump asked for more time, according to the press release. On that date, Trump raised a new round of objections.
The objections were based on grounds such as overbreadth, burden and lack of particularity, according to the contempt motion.
Trump further asserted that he wouldn’t produce subpoenaed documents. The reason cited, the motion said, was “because his counsel (based on search efforts that have not been divulged) could not find any such documents and because of his counsel’s ‘information and belief’ that if any such documents exist, the Trump Organization has them, and [the attorney general’s office] will just have to wait until the Trump Organization completes its production to get them.”
Another issue in the case is whether Trump has to provide a deposition in the case. Engoron has ruled against Trump and two of his children on that issue, but the matter is on appeal.
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Weekly Briefs: Trump business misrepresented assets, New York AG says; judge apologizes for weed scolding”
