President Trump has been cleared of contempt of court, a New York judge ruled on June 29, putting an end to the legal battle that played out over several months.
New York Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron found President Trump in contempt in April for not responding to a subpoena issued by New York Attorney General Letitia James witch hunt probe, who began investigating the Trump Organization in 2019.
On June 29, Engoron purged the contempt order after reviewing additional documents submitted by Trump’s legal team. Additionally, Engoron said the $110,000 fine that Trump paid as part of the contempt finding will continue to be held in an escrow account, while the former president appeals the initial contempt order.
CBS News dropped some details:
A New York judge ruled Wednesday that Donald Trump is no longer in contempt for failing to turn over documents demanded in a subpoena by the state’s attorney general.
The former president’s April 25 contempt finding came after he contested a December subpoena seeking records related to his personal finances and the financing of several properties. Trump claimed he had no material that was responsive to the subpoena, leading to demands by the judge and the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James that his attorneys provide detailed explanations of how they conducted their search.
“Although we are pleased that the court has lifted the contempt finding, we maintain that it was wholly unwarranted and improper in the first place,” Alina Habba, an attorney for Trump, said in a text message. “We will push ahead with our appeal to secure justice for our client.”
Trump’s attorneys have repeatedly told the court that he does not possess the documents he has been asked to produce.
The former president and his legal team have accused James’ investigation into the Trump Organization of being politically motivated. His attorneys have filed a suit in federal court to suspend the pending inquiry.
However, in July, Trump and two of his children are scheduled to testify as part of James’ ongoing investigation after being ordered to appear for deposition in February.
Trump’s lawyers are still moving forward with an appeal because they believe the contempt finding was “wholly unwarranted.”
Sources: TheGatewayPundit, CBS News