On April 25, 2022, Federal Judge Arthur Engeron found Donald Trump in civil contempt of court and ordered him to pay $10,000 per day until he complies with a subpoena to turn over financial documents to New York Attorney General Letitia James.
On May 11, Judge Engeron agreed to lift the civil contempt finding, if Trump pays $110,000. He said Trump could put the money in an escrow account pending appeal of the contempt finding.
The Daily Mail UK reported that Attorney General James has “accused the former president of inflating property valuations for financing purposes and lowering them in statements to tax authorities. She also accused the ex-president of missing a mutually agreed-upon deadline to hand over eight personal financial documents — which Trump’s attorneys claim he simply does not have.”
Trump has repeatedly called AG James’ investigation a “witch hunt,” saying she is only doing it for political reasons. A few months ago, he filed suit against her for her conduct.
The Democrat Attorney General’s conduct is nothing more than a continuation of the party’s non-stop efforts to bring him down, that began the night he won the Presidency, on November 8, 2016. She has asked for anything and everything, in the hopes of finding something she can use against him.
Trump’s lawyers have told Judge Engeron that he has tried to comply with the subpoena. According to the New York Times, Trump filed an affidavit claiming he no longer possesses mobile devices James has requested. Additionally, an outside company told the court it had reviewed 1,300 boxes of documents searching for material that complied with the subpoena but came up empty.
No one can provide something they do not have. AG James’ search is clearly overbroad and unduly burdensome, which is why Trump is right: it’s nothing but a witch hunt. Should AG James be sanctioned for her unethical conduct against Trump?
