Former President Donald Trump is no longer in contempt of court for his slow response to a subpoena from New York Attorney General Leticia James as part of her ongoing Trump investigation, a New York judge ruled on Wednesday.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron overturned the disrespect order he imposed on Trump on April 25 – but not before the 45th president coughed $ 110,000 into James’ office for failing to comply with the summons.
Engoron ruled Wednesday that Trump and his lawyers have met the conditions needed to lift the sanction.
The judge said Trump missed the March 31 deadline to meet the terms of the summons and began charging him $ 10,000 a day on April 26.
He stopped the meter in early May when Trump’s lawyers presented 66 pages detailing their efforts to find and hand over the summons, including records of its annual financial statements, development projects and even communications with Forbes magazine.
James’ office holds the money collected by the court in an escrow account, while Trump’s legal team appeals the judge’s initial finding of disrespect.
Democratic AG began its investigation into the former president’s business relationship in 2019 after former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that his longtime boss had exaggerated the Trump Organization’s value for loans, insurance and tax purposes.
Trump and his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., are due to testify under oath as part of James’ investigation on July 15 after New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, overturned their latest attempt to block testimony.
With postal wires
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