New York AG asks court to hold Donald Trump in contempt
By Tierney Sneed and Sonia Moghe, CNN
New York Attorney General Letitia James asked a New York court on Thursday to hold former President Donald Trump in civil contempt for allegedly failing to comply with a court order that he turn over certain documents for her investigation.
State Judge Arthur Engoron in February had ordered Trump to “comply in full” with the attorney general’s subpoena seeking documents and information. Engoron also ruled that Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump should comply with the attorney general’s subpoenas for testimony, but the Trumps are appealing that decision.
In a motion filed Thursday, the attorney general’s office said that that Trump “did not comply at all” with the subpoena for documents and that his attorneys said he would not produce “any” documents in response to the subpoena because his attorneys believe that if the documents exist, the Trump Organization would have them and the attorney general’s office “will just have to wait until the Trump Organization completes its production to get them.”
According to new filings, her office had agreed to extend an early March deadline for the documents until March 31. But rather than produce the documents that day, Trump presented 16 objections to the subpoena’s demands.
James argued on Thursday that Trump’s attorneys’ response amounted to “more delay and obfuscation,” saying that his objections came too late.
“Mr. Trump should now be held in civil contempt and fined in an amount sufficient to coerce his compliance with the Court’s order and compensate OAG for its fees and costs associated with this motion,” the filing stated.
James is asking the court to impose a fine of $10,000 per day, or any other amount the court deems “sufficient to coerce his compliance with the Court’s February 2022 Order,” as well as compensation for the attorney general offices costs and fees in filing the motion.
CNN has reached out to attorneys for Trump for comment.
James previously said her office found multiple misleading or fraudulent misstatements and omissions in the Trump Organization’s financial statements, which were provided to lenders and insurers, among others, as part of its investigation.
This story is breaking and will be updated.
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