A New York State Supreme Court judge holds former President Donald Trump in civil contempt today. The ruling comes after Trump failed to comply with a subpoena issued in December by the New York attorney general's office.
As CBS News 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 a day,” said New York Supreme Court judge Arthur Engoron.
James' office asked for the contempt finding after Trump failed to meet a court-ordered March 31 deadline to turn over subpoenaed material, claiming he had none of the documents demanded in the civil probe.
A senior counsel with the attorney general's office compared getting documents about the ex-president's finances to “pulling teeth.”
Trump attorney Alina Habba said she personally oversaw the search for documents, including flying to Florida to interview Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club.
Habba maintained that Trump wasn't thumbing his nose at the court's order. She claimed that he did not have the type of written communications sought by the subpoena and therefore couldn't provide anything more.
For Engoron, Habba's argument raised more questions than answers.
At one point, he asked her why she didn't document the Mar-a-Lago interview.
“I feel like there's an 800-pound gorilla in the room, and that is, why don't we have an affidavit from him?” Engoron asked, later adding, “There is a difference between saying something and saying something under oath.”
The ruling marks the latest development in New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil lawsuits against the Trump Organization for allegedly overvaluing properties for Trump's financial benefit.
James' civil investigation parallels Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's criminal investigation of the Trump Organization.
Both James and Bragg are Democrats. James stunned the political world last year when she abandoned her campaign for governor to focus on the investigations and cases under her supervision. Even though two leading prosecutors in its case against Trump recently resigned, Bragg's office has continued its criminal investigation.
This is obviously a politically motivated witch hunt. James and Bragg are simply engaging in the same vindictive and criminal behavior that characterized the Russian hoax which implicates Hillary Clinton, much of the federal bureaucracy, Obama administration, The DNC, and the mainstream media, and handed the 2020 election to a mental basket case and truly corrupt actor.
They will do anything to discredit Trump and to try to keep him from running for president. This is all Obama’s and Hillary’s doing. I would bet they are whispering in Letitia James ear.
HARASSMENT by the Democrats!
This really makes no sense. Inflated business values? Values go up and down every day! Sounds like another bogus accusation with another NY bias Judge. NY is now the big (rotten) Apple!
The Deep State continues to attack the only real American President that loves this country since I’ve voted. We had the jiggleo Clinton, he, she, it obummmmmer, and now the doper diaper baby, ice scream licker, Foster Brooks, reincarnated…..dumb roll please…hiden biden!!! The puppet extraordinaire… Biden is the greatest insult to Porkey Pig…
It would seem to me that over valuing a property would benefit NY / NYC? Now if he devalued property to avoid taxes, then maybe there would be an issue. Value is established between a buyer and a seller.