NEW: Real Estate Company Hit With Contempt Fines For Shielding Donald Trump Documents
The investigation into Donald Trump’s alleged financial crimes seems to be seriously worrying the former president, who has battled against orders to turn over documents. In fact, he was held in contempt by the court, and made to pay a hefty daily fine until he came into compliance with the legal order. Now, a real estate company faces the same consequence.
According to ABC, Cushman & Wakefield has failed to comply with a subpoena demanding information about the company’s business with Donald Trump, and will be fined $10k for every day that it remains in contempt of the order. The company reportedly has provided multiple services for Trump’s properties, including appraisals — which happen to be at the center of the allegations.
Trump has been accused of falsifying the value of his various real estate holdings, both by artificially inflating the values when seeking benefits such as loans, and drastically devaluing properties on other documents, such as for tax purposes, in order to lower his own costs.
The company had apparently been asking for extensions on returning the documents, stretching the proceedings out longer and longer. Axios reports that Justice Arthur Engoron stated in his order that the company had “fail[ed] to identify any good cause” for missing another deadline.
“As an initial matter, this Court is incredulous as to why Cushman & Wakefield would wait until two days after the Court-ordered deadline had lapsed to initiate the process of asking for yet another extension.”
Cushman & Wakefield has said, through a spokesperson, that the company will appeal the order.
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