Trump fined for not complying with subpoena in contempt of court
Donald Trump has been fined by the attorney general of New York for $110,000 in fines after being held in contempt of court for not responding to a civil subpoena issued by the attorney general of New York.
The news on one front of the former president's legal battle came shortly after a big development on another, the news that Trump's former US attorney general William Barr is in talks about testifying in front of the House committee on the deadly Capitol attack.
The House investigation on January 6 resulted in a criminal contempt charge against one Trump ally, former White House strategist Steve Bannon.
The New York attorney general, Letitia James, is conducting a civil investigation of Trump's business affairs.
A lawyer for James'office said last week that evidence could support legal action against Trump, his company or both, but a final decision has not been made.
James, a Democrat, said her three-year investigation uncovered evidence that the Trump Organization misstated the value of assets like skyscrapers and golf courses for over a decade.
Trump, a Republican, denies James's allegations. He has called James's investigation racist and politically motivated witch-hunting. Trump's lawyers have accused James of a selective prosecution. Trump is suing James in federal court, trying to shut down her investigation.
On Thursday, Trump paid the contempt of court fine but must still submit additional paperwork to have the contempt order lifted, James s office said.
A Manhattan judge declared Trump in contempt of court on April 25 and fined him $10,000 a day for not complying with a subpoena in the long-running investigation into his business practices.
Arthur Engoron agreed on May 11 to lift the contempt order if Trump pays the fines by May 20 and submits affidavits detailing efforts to search for the subpoenaed records and explaining his and his company's document retention policies.
Engoron required a company hired by Trump to aid the search, HaystackID, to finish going through 17 boxes in off-site storage and report its findings and turn over any relevant documents. James s office said that process was completed on Thursday.
Engoron told Trump to pay the money and the attorney general to hold it in an escrow account while Trump's legal team appeals the original contempt finding.
On May 6, Engoron was stopped from paying the fine after Trump's lawyers submitted 66 pages of documents detailing efforts to locate subpoenaed records. The judge warned that he could reinstate it, retroactive to May 7 if conditions were not met.