A New York judge has denied former President Donald Trump’s motion to block court fines of $10,000-per-day for failing to hand over documents in a probe of his business dealings.
Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey-based lawyer Alina Habba had called the fine ‘unconscionable and indefensible’ in her own Monday filing, where she vouched for Trump’s efforts to respond to the demand for documents.
The push to climb out from the fines – which have already hit $80,000 – came after State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron said the Trump team had failed to demonstrate they conducted an adequate search.
The appeal sought a stay of the decision pending an appeal, as well as a ‘stay of the portion of the order imposing a $10,000 daily fine.’
Trump lawyer Alina Habba called a judge’s $10,000-a-day fine on Trump for failing to comply wiht a subpoena ‘unconscionable and indefensible’
‘Interim application denied and the motion referred to a full bench for determination,’ wrote Justice Tanya Kennedy, an associate justice of the appellate division and an Andrew Cuomo appointee.
State AG Letitia James, whose office is conducting a wide-ranging probe of Trump’s business dealings, sought the order after Trump failed to comply with a March 31 deadline to comply with a subpoena.
She has accused Trump’s company of inflating property valuations for financing purposes and lowering them in statements to tax authorities. Trump has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and attacked the probe as a ‘witch hunt.’
Trump signed an affadavit that he didn’t believe he had any relevant documents.
State AG Letitia James is conducting a wide-ranging probe of Trump’s business
New York State Justice Arthur Engoron imposed the $10,000-a-day fine. Another judge denied a stay of the fines
Donald Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba, leaves Manhattan Supreme Court on April 25, 2022, after a judge held the former president in civil contempt for failing to comply with a court-ordered subpoena in the New York attorney general’s probe
Engorn expressed astonishment in his April 29 ruling that Trump couldn’t produce documents.
‘He’s Donald Trump, the most famous real estate developer in the world, arguably,’ the judge said. ‘I am surprised he doesn’t seem to have any documents; they’re all with the organization.’
Trump had signed a sworn affidavit that he didn’t believe he had any relevant documents.
As president, Trump and White House lawyers repeatedly refused to cooperate with a House impeachment probe’s document requests, and several of his former White House aides are battling the House select Jan. 6 Committee over its subpoenas that they testify.
In arguments Monday seeking to stop the fines, Habba called them ‘not only unwarranted, it is also patently improper and impermissible by law.’
She said Trump and his team had done a ‘diligent, thorough and comprehensive search’ for the materials identified in the subpoena.
Justice Engoron noted last week that Trump hasn’t provided any post-it notes even though he is ‘famous’ for using them, as Trump Organization CFO Alan Garten testified.
‘You can fine us for 10 months but you’re not going to get any more documents from Donald Trump,’ Habba responded. ‘He doesn’t have the documents that you want.’
Trump trashed the decision in a statement.
‘After handing over millions of pages of documents, perhaps more than any person or entity has ever given before, there is nothing that can be done to satisfy the racist Attorney General of New York State, failed Gubernatorial candidate Letitia James, or the New York State Courts which are biased, unyielding, and totally unfair,’ he said.
‘With rampant and record setting crime, a 42.8% increase over last year was just announced, and every other unimaginable problem, no wonder everyone is leaving the State, including businesses left and right,’ said Trump, who relocated to Florida during his presidency where state taxes are lower than in the city where he was born.
‘This is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history, and it should not be allowed to continue. It is a politically driven Scam the likes of which has never been seen before. If I wasn’t leading in every poll by substantial numbers, this persecution would have long ago ended. The good news is, I have done nothing wrong!’
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk