US judge order Trump to pay $110,000 fine to lift contempt finding

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New York Judge Arthur Engoron ordered on Wednesday former US President Donald Trump to pay $110,000 in fines and meet other conditions to lift a civil contempt finding stemming from his failure to cooperate with a state probe into Trump Organization finances.

In April, the judge found Trump in contempt of court after the former president ignored an earlier ruling that Trump and his two adult children could not refuse subpoenas by New York Attorney General Letitia James to question them over her probe into the Trump Organization, which represents the family’s business interests.

In a ruling filed Wednesday, Engoron denied without prejudice Trump’s attempt to purge the contempt filing against him, moving forward with a $10,000 per day fine for violating the subpoena orders.

"I want the fine paid. That fine is now $110,000," Engoron affirmed during a virtual court hearing as quoted by CNN.

The fine will be placed by the court in an escrow account pending Trump’s appeal of the contempt ruling, the judge indicated.

Trump must also provide a description of the Trump Organization’s document retention and destruction policy and review the remaining documents tied to him by May 20, per the court’s conditions.

Trump and his company have denied any wrongdoing. The former president had previously called James' probe "a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time."

The inquiry was originally launched in 2019 following former vice president of the Trump Organization Micheal Cohen's testimony before Congress, in which he accused Trump of inflating his wealth for better loan and insurance terms while understating the value of his properties to cut real estate taxes.

James issued subpoenas to Trump and his children in December, urging that they testify by January 7. In January, James filed a request to compel the former president and his children to testify under oath.