Judge Holds Trump in Contempt of Court, Fines Him $10,000 Per Day For Ignoring Subpoena, NY AG Says
17:40 GMT 25.04.2022 (Updated: 18:05 GMT 25.04.2022)
© AP Photo / Alex Brandon
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NEW YORK (Sputnik) - Former US president Donald Trump has been held in contempt of court and fined $10,000 a day by a judge for ignoring subpoenas by the New York State’s Attorney-General Letitia James, the prosecutor said via Twitter on Monday.
"In a major victory, a court has ruled in our favor to hold Donald Trump in contempt of court. Donald Trump must pay $10,000 per day for every day that he continues to defy the court's order to turn over documents to my office," James wrote.
The New York State's Attorney-General has been investigating the Trump Organisation over allegations that it improperly manipulated the stated values of various real estate assets to receive more favourable terms for loans and insurance coverage, and to lower their taxes.
New York judge Arthur Engoron, who ruled against Trump on Monday, had made an earlier ruling in February that Trump and his two adult children could not refuse subpoenas by James to question them over her probe into the Trump Organization, which represents the family’s business interests.
Prior to Judge Engoron's February ruling, the accounting firm Mazars informed Trump in a letter that it could no longer back financial statements prepared for the Trump Organization. The Mazars letter was used by James to back her argument that Trump’s private businesses had engaged in “fraudulent or misleading” practices in the valuation of its assets.
“Today, justice prevailed,” James said in a fuller statement after Monday’s ruling by Judge Engoron. “For years, Donald Trump has tried to evade the law and stop our lawful investigation into him and his company’s financial dealings. Today’s ruling makes clear: No one is above the law.”
Trump became US president after beating Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, campaigning as an independent businessman who would reshape politics in Washington. He left office in January 2021 after losing to another Democrat candidate, Joe Biden.
Trump has indicated that he will run again in the 2024 election, although it is not known what impact the case brought against the Trump Organization will have on his chances of doing that.
Trump and his company have denied any wrongdoing. The former president had previously called the probe "a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time". He did not immediately react to Monday’s ruling.
Prior to Judge Engoron's February ruling, the accounting firm Mazars informed Trump in a letter that it could no longer back financial statements prepared for the Trump Organization. The Mazars letter was used by James to back her argument that Trump’s private businesses had engaged in “fraudulent or misleading” practices in the valuation of its assets.
“Today, justice prevailed,” James said in a fuller statement after Monday’s ruling by Judge Engoron. “For years, Donald Trump has tried to evade the law and stop our lawful investigation into him and his company’s financial dealings. Today’s ruling makes clear: No one is above the law.”
Trump became US president after beating Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, campaigning as an independent businessman who would reshape politics in Washington. He left office in January 2021 after losing to another Democrat candidate, Joe Biden.
Trump has indicated that he will run again in the 2024 election, although it is not known what impact the case brought against the Trump Organization will have on his chances of doing that.
Trump and his company have denied any wrongdoing. The former president had previously called the probe "a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time". He did not immediately react to Monday’s ruling.
*The headline and first sentence of this article have been amended to reflect that Donald Trump has been fined $10,000 (not $100,000) per day.
