Former President Trump told a judge that he doesn’t have any documents that were subpoenaed by the New York attorney general as he fights an effort to initiate contempt proceedings in state court.
In a court filing submitted Tuesday, Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, said that the records a state court judge ordered to be turned over to the attorney general’s office are all in the possession of the Trump Organization.
“After conducting a diligent search and review, Respondent’s counsel determined that Respondent was not in possession of any documents responsive to the Subpoena and that all potentially responsive documents were in the possession, custody or control of the Trump Organization,” Habba wrote.
In February, New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump, his two eldest children and his business to comply with the subpoenas from state Attorney General Letitia James (D) as part of her investigation into Trump’s business practices.
Trump is appealing the order that he sit for a deposition with James’s investigators.
Earlier this month, the attorney general’s office asked Engoron to hold Trump in contempt for failing to produce any relevant documents after his lawyer assured the court that he would comply.
James’s office is asking the judge to fine Trump $10,000 for each day that he has failed to comply.
A spokesman for James declined to comment on Trump’s filing.
In the filing, Habba accused the attorney general’s office of refusing to hold “good faith” discussions on Trump’s compliance efforts.
“Given the OAG’s recalcitrant behavior, it is fair to question the OAG’s motive in bringing the instant application, which appears to be little more than a contrived publicity stunt,” Habba wrote, using an acronym for the Office of the Attorney General.
The judge has set a Monday hearing on the contempt motions.