In a civil fraud lawsuit trial set to begin next month, New York Attorney General Tish James has requested the judge to impose $20,000 in sanctions on Donald Trump, his two adult sons, their lawyers, and other co-defendants.
The attorney general’s office claimed that Trump and his legal team participated in “frivolous conduct” by continually bringing up legal arguments that courts have already rejected.
Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and some of his colleagues, as well as the Trump business empire, are being sued by James’ office on grounds that they inflated the former president’s wealth to better negotiate with financial institutions and insurance providers. The trial is scheduled to start on October 2.
In its filing on Tuesday, James’ office argued that Trump, the other defendants, and all of their lawyers have made the same arguments that have been repeatedly rejected by courts since October 2022, primarily concerning whether the attorney general’s office has the standing or capacity to bring the claims against the Trumps. Recent pending motions, according to the AG’s office, include the Trumps’ move for summary judgement and their brief opposing the AG’s motion for partial summary judgement, both of which allegedly reuse the same points.
Chris Kise, one of Trump’s attorneys, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The state’s attorney general’s office asked the court to fine each defendant a total of $10,000 and each attorney representing them another $10,000.
