N.Y. Judge Refuses To Stay Trump’s $10,000-A-Day Fine For Contempt

Topline

Former President Donald Trump will continue paying a fine of $10,000-per-day after a New York appellate court rejected a motion from the ex-president for a stay of a contempt of court ruling, which came after he failed to turn over documents to New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) as part of her investigation into potential financial fraud by the Trump Organization.

Key Facts

The decision from New York Appellate Division, First Department Judge Tanya Kennedy upholds the fine while Trump appeals the contempt ruling from Judge Arthur Engoron.

Engoron held Trump in contempt on April 25, which suggests the former president now owes upwards of $80,000 in fines, though it’s not clear if Trump has actually paid any of the penalties.

Trump claimed in an affidavit he does not have any of the requested tax records and other Trump Organization financial documents in his “personal possession,” arguing the Trump Organization would more likely hold the documents, and his attorney has called the $10,000 a day fine “little more than a contrived publicity stunt.”

Trump sent out a statement Tuesday evening lambasting James’ probe as a “continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history,” calling it “a politically driven Scam the likes of which has never been seen before.”

Key Background

James has been leading a civil probe into Trump and his businesses for years, after former Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified in a 2019 congressional hearing that Trump-operated businesses lied about the value of assets. The Trump Organization has been accused of both undervaluing assets to taxing bodies to cut down on tax bills and overvaluing assets to banks to secure higher loans. Trump and his associates have repeatedly denied allegations of wrongdoing, with the former president blasting James’ probe as a politically motivated witch hunt. James’ investigation is not a criminal probe, but could result in a lawsuit against Trump and his business empire.

Tangent

Grand jury selection began on Monday in Fulton County, Georgia, as part of an investigation into whether Trump broke the law with his attempts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The Georgia probe could lead to criminal charges against the former president.

Further Reading

Judge Blocks Trump’s Attempt To Lift Contempt Charge After Swearing He Doesn’t Have Documents (Forbes)

Judge Holds Trump In Contempt For Failing To Hand Over Records To New York AG (Forbes)

Trump Investigation Heats Up In Georgia As DA Convenes Grand Jury—Here’s What Happens Next (Forbes)