The former president was fined $ 10,000 a day for failing to respond to a summons.
April 29, 2022, 7:53 p.m.
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Former President Donald Trump said in a swearing-in statement on Friday that he did not have documents summoned by the New York Attorney General’s Office, but the judge supervising the case refused to rule out his finding of contempt and a $ 10,000 daily fine.
(To the best of my knowledge, (i) I do not have any of the documents requested in the summons of 1 December 2021 in my personal possession; and (ii) if there are any documents matching the subpoena, I believe it will be in the possession or custody of the Trump organization, “said Trump’s swearing-in statement.
“At all appropriate times, I have authorized and continue to authorize the release of a responsible document in the Office of the Attorney General,” Trump said in the document.
The same document, which contains an affidavit, also contains a detailed review by Trump’s lawyer of the steps taken to search for the documents in question.
But Judge Arthur Engoren was unhappy and rejected Trump’s request to clear the finding of disrespect and the fine that accompanies it.
“This court wrongfully convicted my client of disrespect, which he did not commit just because the OAG declared it ‘insufficient’ for no reason,” Trump’s lawyer, Alina Haba, said in response to the ruling. “We will zealously pursue our complaint about the misapplication of both the law and the facts.
Former President Donald Trump spoke at a rally at the Delaware County Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Delaware, Ohio.
The judge’s decision said that the allegations made by Mr. Trump’s lawyer were insufficient, as they did not specify who searched for each application, at what time, where and using what search protocols; it is not enough to simply attach a list of people involved in the search. “
“Furthermore,” the ruling said, “Mr. Trump’s personal affidavit … does not specify where he kept his files, how his files were stored in the ordinary course of business, who had access to such files.” .. and, importantly, where he believes such files are currently located. “
The summons was issued as part of the Attorney General’s civil inquiry into the way Trump values his real estate empire.
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