Donald Trump had asked to stop paying a $10K-a-day fine for failing to turn over business documents to NY AGLetitia James .- On Tuesday, a
Manhattan appellate judge said no, ordering him to keep paying even as he appeals the fine.
Donald Trump must keep paying
Trump had asked the appellate court to quickly halt the fine while he appeals the lower court contempt order that set the mounting penalty, which as of Tuesday had reached $80,000.
In turning down that request — for now — Judge Tanya R. Kennedy said a full appellate panel would take up the question at an unspecified date.
"Interim application denied and the motion referred to a full Bench for determination," Kennedy wrote, without elaboration.
Tuesday's is Trump's second failed attempt to end the costly fine.
Last week, the lower court judge who set the fine, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron, declined to accept a sworn, 1-page affidavit from Trump, who had offered it in hopes of reversing Engoron's contempt order.
The affidavit said only that Trump had no more documents to give to the AG's probe of his business, and that any remaining documents would be in the possession of
"I'm disappointed that Mr. Trump hasn't been more forthcoming," Engoron said during a virtual conference on Friday. "Where did he keep files? I'm assuming it wasn't all in his head?"
In his written opinion, Engoron called the affidavit "insufficient" due to its lack of details.
"Notably," the judge ruled, "it fails to state where he kept his files, how his files were stored in the regular course of business, who had access to such files, what, if any, the retention policy was for such files, and, importantly, where he believes such files are currently located.
Tuesday was an expensive day for Trump, as far as fines from Attorneys General go.
Earlier in the day, his