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Judge Lifts Contempt Ruling Against Trump, Orders Fine to Be Paid

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A New York judge said Wednesday that he would completely release former President Donald Trump from a contempt of court finding, but Trump’s legal team must provide more information about its search for documents sought by state Attorney General Letitia James.

Judge Arthur Engoron also said the former president still must pay $110,000 in fines, The Associated Press reported.

On April 25, the judge found Trump in contempt of court for failing to fully comply with documents subpoenaed by James for a probe she launched into whether the businessman “misstated the value of assets like skyscrapers and golf courses on financial statements for over a decade,” according to the AP.

Engoron fined him $10,000 per day until he complied.

On May 6, Trump attorney Alina Habba filed a document with the court saying that all the responses her client made to the subpoena were complete and accurate and no relevant documents were withheld from James’ investigators.

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The $110,000 in fines imposed on Trump represent the cumulative amount of $10,000 per day until his court filing on May 6.

Engoron previously said he was not satisfied with the answer Trump’s attorneys gave about not being able to locate all the documents James wanted.

“On Wednesday, Engoron said that order is lifted if Trump’s legal team submits additional affidavits with more details about the searches for the documents, and the document retention and destruction policies of the Trump Organization by May 20,” CNBC reported.

The judge also required a review of Trump’s documents by the digital forensics company HaystackID.

Do you think James' prosecution of Trump is politically motivated?

If the former president’s lawyers do not meet these conditions by May 20, the daily $10,000 fine will be reimposed.

Last month, after James called for Trump to be held in contempt, he issued a statement saying the “witch hunt” needed to stop and that the Democratic attorney general’s probe was politically motivated.

“This never-ending Witch Hunt must stop. We don’t need racist political hacks going after good, hardworking people for highly partisan political gain. The people of our Country see right through it all, and won’t take this Radical Left ‘sickness’ anymore. Make New York Great Again!” Trump said.

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On April 7, he declared that James “is no longer working as attorney general, she is an operative for the Democrat Party in a political prosecution.”

A separate criminal probe by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office appears stalled, according to CBS News.

The two leading prosecutors in that inquiry — Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz — resigned in February.

Pomerantz wrote in his resignation letter, published in The New York Times on March 23, that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg had “reached the decision … not to seek criminal charges at the present time.”

“The investigation has been suspended indefinitely,” he said.

In an April 7 statement, Bragg said the criminal investigation was “continuing” and his investigators and prosecutors were “exploring evidence not previously explored.”

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Randy DeSoto has written more than 2,000 articles for The Western Journal since he joined the company in 2015. He is a graduate of West Point and Regent University School of Law. He is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths" and screenwriter of the political documentary "I Want Your Money."
Randy DeSoto is the senior staff writer for The Western Journal. He wrote and was the assistant producer of the documentary film "I Want Your Money" about the perils of Big Government, comparing the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama. Randy is the author of the book "We Hold These Truths," which addresses how leaders have appealed to beliefs found in the Declaration of Independence at defining moments in our nation's history. He has been published in several political sites and newspapers.

Randy graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point with a BS in political science and Regent University School of Law with a juris doctorate.
Birthplace
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Nationality
American
Honors/Awards
Graduated dean's list from West Point
Education
United States Military Academy at West Point, Regent University School of Law
Books Written
We Hold These Truths
Professional Memberships
Virginia and Pennsylvania state bars
Location
Phoenix, Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Politics, Entertainment, Faith




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