Trump asks judge to reject NY AG Letitia James’ contempt request

Previous President Donald Trump requested a judge to reject New York Legal professional Typical Letitia James’ bid to hold him in contempt for allegedly failing to comply with a subpoena as part of a civil investigation into his company.

A law firm for Trump argued in a court docket submitting Tuesday that the previous president complied with James’ subpoena when his authorized staff advised her that he does not have any of the documents she asked for.

“Following conducting a diligent research and assessment, Respondent’s counsel decided that Respondent was not in possession of any paperwork responsive to the Subpoena and that all likely responsive documents were in the possession, custody or regulate of the Trump Corporation,” Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba wrote.

James is investigating allegations that the Trump Corporation misstated the values of some of its authentic estate assets to get improved financial conditions when applying for loans and insurance policies and for tax functions.

New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron in February denied requests by Trump, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. to throw out subpoenas issued to them by James.

Engoron also requested Trump to “comply in total” with a subpoena for him to develop extra files and information and facts to the investigators.

James on April 7 urged the judge to keep Trump in contempt of courtroom, accusing the former president of violating the court’s get. She also requested Engoron to slap Trump with a good of $10,000 each day until he turns over the paperwork.

“The judge’s get was crystal crystal clear: Donald J. Trump should comply with our subpoena and change above pertinent files to my office environment,” James mentioned in a assertion at the time.

“Rather of obeying a court order, Mr. Trump is trying to evade it. We are seeking the court’s quick intervention since no one particular is earlier mentioned the legislation,” James stated.

Engoron is scheduled to listen to oral arguments about the contempt dispute Monday afternoon.

In the court docket filing Tuesday evening, Trump’s law firm speculated that the attorney general’s business submitted the contempt movement “seemingly in an effort to convert this issue into a community spectacle.”

Habba wrote that Trump adopted the subpoena’s guidance. She argued that Trump was not essential to offer any paperwork to the investigators that were in the Trump Organization’s possession, if individuals records experienced currently been manufactured to James’ place of work.

“This provision is crucial since the Trump Organization has independently made a huge amount of documents to the [attorney general’s office] all over the system of the subject matter investigation,” Habba wrote.

She also accused the lawyer general’s office environment of refusing “to engage in great-faith discussions to address the troubles at hand.”

Offered that “recalcitrant habits, it is fair to concern [the attorney general’s] motive in bringing the fast application, which appears to be tiny more than a contrived publicity stunt,” Habba wrote.