NEW YORK — Donald Trump paid a $110,000 fine to lift an order holding him in contempt of court for failing to adequately respond to a New York state subpoena for his records.
The former president paid the fine on Thursday, according to a spokesperson for New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is investigating potentially fraudulent asset valuations at Trump’s sprawling real-estate company.
Trump was held in contempt last month for failing to fully comply with a subpoena of documents in his personal possession relevant to the investigation. Trump had argued that he had no such records to hand over, but the judge said his explanation of the search was insufficient.
Alina Habba, Trump’s lawyer, said Friday that the money Trump paid will be held in escrow pending the resolution of her appeal. She argues her initial response to the subpoena was sufficient.
New York state court Judge Arthur Engoron had ruled that Trump could come into compliance with the court by paying the fine and meeting other obligations. By the end of Friday, Trump’s lawyers must also submit sworn affidavits from individuals who were referenced in previous filings as being involved in the search of Trump’s records, as well as Trump’s executive assistants describing his record-retention policies over the years.
Habba said the affidavits will be filed on time.
The judge also said an outside firm hired to conduct a parallel search of records at the Trump Organization must submit a final report. James’s spokesperson said the report has been filed and that the search of Trump’s records was complete.
