US judge fines Trump for contempt of court

NEW YORK: A Manhattan judge convicted former US President Donald Trump of contempt of court Monday and ordered him to pay $10,000 for "repeated delays and failures" to comply with New York Attorney General Letitia James' fraud investigation.

Under the decision, Trump will pay a fine of $10,000 for each day he is late in handing over documents, according to an earlier court ruling.

"Mr. Trump, I know you take your work very seriously, and I take my work very seriously," Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Ngorone said, although he was not present at the hearing, as the judge announced the indictment. The fine, according to the New York Daily News.

The judge criticized the former president for underestimating Trump's deadline to present all the evidence James asked of him. James says she has evidence that his family business has manipulated the value of its assets for financial gain.

Trump's lawyer, Alina Happa, insisted that the former president hand over all of his documents.(dpa)