NY attorney general seeks to hold Donald Trump in contempt of courton April 7, 2022 at 10:25 pm

New York’s top lawyer has asked a state judge to hold Donald Trump in contempt of court, for allegedly failing to turn over files for an investigation into his business practices.

Attorney General Letitia James requested he be fined $10,000 (£7,650) per day until he complies.

A judge previously ordered Mr Trump to provide the files as part of Ms James’s probe into the Trump Organization.

The former president’s lawyer called the motion “frivolous”.

The New York attorney general opened a civil inquiry in 2019 into claims that – before he took office – Mr Trump had inflated the value of his assets to banks when seeking loans.

Mr Trump and his family have denied wrongdoing and the former president has called the inquiry a “witch hunt”.

In February, a judge ruled that Mr Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr, 44, and daughter Ivanka Trump, 40, must answer questions under oath in the New York investigation into their business practices.

They appealed the order to appear but did not object to a separate part of the ruling that the former president comply with a subpoena “seeking documents and information”. Those were meant to be produced by 31 March.

In court documents filed on Thursday, the New York attorney general said Mr Trump has not produced the requested documents and has raised objections “based on grounds such as overbreadth, burden, and lack of particularity”.

“The judge’s order was crystal clear: Donald J Trump must comply with our subpoena and turn over relevant documents to my office,” Ms James said in a statement.

Ms James has repeatedly blamed Mr Trump for creating unnecessary delays in the legal process.

Mr Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, said in a statement sent to Reuters that: “We are prepared to adamantly oppose the frivolous and baseless motion filed by the attorney general’s office.

“Our client has consistently complied with the many discovery requests served by the attorney general’s office over the years.”

The civil case is separate to a Manhattan criminal investigation into the Trump Organization’s practices.