Thursday 30 June 2022 05:21 AM Judge rules Donald Trump no longer in contempt of court failing to comply with ... trends now
Donald Trump is no longer in contempt of court, a New York judge ruled on Wednesday.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who declared the former president in contempt on April 25 for being slow to respond to a civil subpoena issued by New York's attorney general, said he has now met conditions required to lift the sanction following a protracted legal battle.
Trump last month paid $110,000 in fines he racked up as a result of the contempt finding.
The money, paid directly to Attorney General Letitia James' office, will continue to be held in an escrow account while Trump appeals the original contempt finding, Engoron said on Wednesday.
New York Attorney General Letitia James has been investigating the Trump Organization since 2019. She subpoenaed Donald Trump and his two eldest children late last year
Trump and his two oldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., are scheduled to testify under oath in James' investigation starting July 15 after the state's highest court rejected his last-ditch attempt to avoid a subpoena.
'Although we are pleased that the court has lifted the contempt finding, we maintain that it was wholly unwarranted and improper in the first place,' Trump lawyer Alina Habba said. 'We will push ahead with our appeal to secure justice for our client.'
The attorney general asked Engoron to find Trump in contempt of court after he failed to produce any documents to satisfy a March 31 deadline to meet the terms of her subpoena.
Engoron fined Trump $10,000 per day for not complying but stopped the fine from accruing in early May, when it appeared a resolution to the dispute was near.
Trump and his two oldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., are scheduled to testify under oath in James' investigation starting July 15 after the state's highest court rejected his last-ditch attempt to avoid a subpoena
Engoron originally agreed May 11 to lift Trump's contempt order if he paid the fines
