BREAKING: Former Pres. Trump held in civil contempt for failure to comply with subpoena issued by New York attorney general’s office
Not a good day for Mr. Trump. This Monday, a New York state judge found the former President in contempt for not turning over documents after he was ordered to comply with a subpoena from the New York attorney general’s office.
As a result of his failure, New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron has ordered Trump to pay $10,000 a day until he’s shown that he’s complied with the document demands, The Hill reports. “Mr. Trump, I know you take your business seriously and I take mine seriously. I hereby hold you in civil contempt and fine you $10,000 per day until you purge that contempt,” Engoron said at a hearing Monday. A written decision with a start date for fines is expected Tuesday. “We respectfully disagree with the court’s decision today,” Habba said. “All documents, as I explained, responsive to the subpoena were already produced to the attorney general months ago.”
As it was previously reported, New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office has been investigating the Trump Organization for more than two years. She previously said her office found multiple misleading or fraudulent misstatements and omissions in the Trump Organization’s financial statements. Speaking about the ruling this Monday, James (D) said, “Today, justice prevailed,” James said in a tweet. “Our investigation into Donald Trump and the Trump Organization’s financial dealings will continue undeterred because no one is above the law.”
Investigators for James have said in court filings that they uncovered evidence that Trump may have misstated the value of assets like golf courses and skyscrapers on his financial statements for over a decade. Trump, a Republican, has been fighting James in court over her investigation. He has called her move a politically motivated “witch hunt.”
Meanwhile, the ex Prez’s lawyer in the case, Alina Habba, said in a statement said that he would appeal the contempt finding:
“We respectfully disagree with the court’s decision,” Habba said. “All documents responsive to the subpoena were produced to the attorney general months ago. The only issue raised by the attorney general at today’s hearing was with an affidavit submitted which copied the form mandated by the attorney general. This does not even come close to meeting the standard on a motion for contempt and, thus, we intend to appeal,” she said.
As shocking as this may seem to some, the latest contempt finding is not the first for someone who has held the nation’s highest office. Then-President Bill Clinton was found in civil contempt of court in April 1999 in connection to his deposition in a sexual harassment lawsuit filed against him in Arkansas by Paula Jones. He was held in contempt by Judge Susan Webber Wright for his testimony, where he falsely said he hadn’t had a sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. His contempt citation came two months after his acquittal in Congress on articles of impeachment over his testimony.
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