NY judge urged to hold Trump in contempt of court
Ex-president claims probe of business a political crusade
New York – The New York state attorney general’s office on Monday urged a judge to hold former president Donald Trump in contempt of court for not producing documents subpoenaed in a probe of his business practices.
Trump lost a bid to quash a subpoena from state attorney general Letitia James, then failed to produce all the documents by a court-ordered March 3 deadline, later extended to March 31 at his lawyers’ request.
But the attorney general ’ s office received “zero documents” from Trump by the end of March, Andrew Amer, special litigation counsel with James’ office, said in arguments before justice Arthur Engoron in a New York state court in Manhattan.
“Donald Trump is not beyond the reach of this court’s authority,” Amer said in support of the contempt motion. “Mr. Trump had his day in court challenging the subpoena, and he lost.”
James is investigating whether the Trump Organization, the former president’s New York City-based family company, misstated the values of its real estate properties to obtain favourable loans and tax deductions.
James has said her probe had found “significant evidence” suggesting that for more than a decade the company’s financial statements “relied on misleading asset valuations and other misrepresentations to secure economic benefits.”
James asked that Trump be fined $10,000 (R157,000) a day, and perhaps more, until he complies.
The attorney general has questioned how the Trump Organization valued the Trump brand, as well as properties including golf clubs in New York and Scotland and Trump’s own penthouse apartment in midtown Manhattan’s Trump Tower.
Alina Habba, a lawyer for Trump and the company, said at the hearing that James’s investigation was a “fishing expedition” and that the Trump Organization was “right on schedule” with its production of documents.
“This is a political crusade,” Habba said. “The attorney general’s investigation has seemingly become aimless.”
Trump, a Republican, denies wrongdoing and has called the investigation politically motivated. James is a Democrat.
Trump and two of his adult children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., also were subpoenaed and ordered to provide testimony to the attorney general.
An appeal is pending for that testimony.