Judge rejects Trump’s affidavit saying he doesn’t have documents sought by New York’s legal professional common

The one-page signed affidavit filed with the court Friday was Trump's unsuccessful try to end the civil contempt and daily effective of $10,000 per day imposed on him earlier this week by New York state Choose Arthur Engoron.

"Mr. Trump's personal affidavit is completely devoid of any helpful detail. Notably, it fails to state the place he kept his recordsdata, how his files had been stored in the regular course of enterprise, who had access to such information, what, if any, the retention coverage was for such recordsdata, and, importantly, where he believes such recordsdata are at present positioned," he wrote. The choose also found the sworn statement from Trump's attorney unsatisfactory.

The choose beforehand said Trump might end the contempt if he complied with the subpoena or him or his attorneys detailed their efforts to search for documents sought by the subpoena. He known as Trump's lawyer's earlier response "boilerplate."

In the sworn assertion signed April 27, Trump wrote, "To the very best of my data, (i) I wouldn't have any of the documents requested within the subpoena dated December 1, 2021 in my personal possession." He said any records can be in the possession of the Trump Group and he has approved them to comply with the subpoena. The previous President has additionally appealed that order.

In addition they stated affidavits from Trump's attorneys provide some new information about their search, but "they are insufficient to purge the finding of contempt."

If after the evaluate is complete and if no new data are recovered, the legal professional normal's workplace said it might suggest that Trump didn't preserve records.

"It is simply not believable that Mr. Trump authored only three paperwork coping with the worth of his assets and his wealth," they wrote.

The attorney common's workplace stated extra information still have to be searched by Trump's lawyer or HaystackID, the third-party firm hired for document production, earlier than they might be happy. Amongst these information: all of Trump's hard copy information in Trump Tower or its off-site storage, all of the paper files of Trump's govt assistants, all digital units, including cell telephones and computer systems, belonging to Trump and his assistants, and every property the place Trump maintains a private office or residence.

HaystackID will full most of the assessment of supplies at Trump Tower by Might 6, the legal professional normal's workplace mentioned. They famous that Haystack recognized two flip cellphones belonging to Trump but the attorney general's office said since Trump reportedly used a smartphone "he apparently has, or will need to have had in the past, a number of different telephones that he obtained for private use."

In addition, investigators took issue with Trump's attorney counting on previous searches carried out by the Trump Organization's lawyer in response to earlier subpoenas.

In a sworn affidavit, Trump's lawyer Alina Habba, said she had checked a number of the information and had gone to Florida to talk with Trump himself. She stated Trump did not have an documents at his homes in Bedminster, New Jersey, or Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

This story has been updated with extra particulars.