A New York judge found former US President Donald Trump in contempt, fined him and ordered him to turn over the documents requested by the state attorney general’s office as part of the investigation into his financial transactions and those of the Trump Organization.
Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur F. Engoron ruled that Trump will have to pay a fine of $10,000 a day until he complies with his order.
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“Mr. Trump: I know you take your business as seriously as I take mine,” Judge Engoron said before declaring Trump in contempt, after which he slammed his gavel, according to the New York Times.
On April 7, the New York Attorney General’s Office asked the court to hold Trump in contempt for failing to comply with the order to deliver the documents that they had requested as part of the investigation they carry out on your financial transactions and those of your company.
Lawyers for the prosecution had also asked the court to impose the $10,000 fine on the former president, who should have delivered the documents on March 31, as a court had already ordered.
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The prosecution recalled in its document that it had made the claim against the former president eight times, so this time it asked to be held in contempt, a victory for Attorney General Letitia James.
The investigation tries to determine if the Trump company inflated the value of its assets in order to obtain bank loans. and, in parallel, it reduced that same value with the intention of paying less taxes.
Although it is a civil proceeding, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office also has a parallel criminal investigation open.
Trump was initially ordered to serve papers by March 3, 2022, but the prosecution granted the former president’s request for additional time, thus extending the date to March 31.
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When the deadline expired, Trump objected to the delivery of documents and assured that he would not respond to the prosecution’s request, considering it “in violation of the judge’s order.”
“Today justice prevailed,” prosecutor James said in a statement after learning of the court’s decision.
“For years, Donald Trump has tried to evade the law and stop our legal investigation into him and his company’s financial dealings. Today’s ruling makes it clear: no one is above the law,” James said.
EFE
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