NY Investigation Of Trump Organization Holds Real Estate Giant Cushman & Wakefield In Contempt

Real estate giant Cushman & Wakefield faces a contempt of court charge related to New York State Attorney General Letitia James' investigation into the Trump Organization.

Cushman & Wakefield refused to comply with subpoenas during the investigation, so Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron imposed a $10,000 per day fine on Tuesday for each day the firm refuses to comply, starting Thursday.

The firm consistently did not adhere to prescribed deadlines, filing for an extension of two days after a June deadline, which the judge viewed as "willful non-compliance.”

Judge Engoron wrote the Court was "incredulous" about "why Cushman & Wakefield would wait until two days after the Court-ordered deadline had lapsed to" begin "asking for yet another extension . . . failure to seek an extension in a timely matter is fatal to its motion."

He added the firm identifies no "good cause for filing its motion after its time to comply had already lapsed." AG James expressed pleasure with the judge's decision.

"We’re pleased that the court has recognized that and taken action to force Cushman to comply with our subpoenas. No person or company, no matter how powerful, is above the law," she said.

Cushman & Wakefield provided the Trump Organization with multiple services, including appraisals and brokerages that are a part of James' investigation: 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles, and the Seven Springs estate in Westchester, New York.

The contempt charge against Cushman & Wakefield comes close to a week after the same judge lifted a contempt order against former President Donald Trump. Trump and his organization deny any wrongdoing related to the AG's investigation and previously accused her of conducting a witchhunt.

Cushman & Wakefield also deny any wrongdoing, stating that the contempt charge "demonstrates a failure to understand the extreme lengths Cushman has gone to comply with the Court's order." The firm cites turning over hundreds of thousands of pages of documents and 650 appraisals provided to the AG since February 2022.

"Cushman disagrees with any suggestion that the firm has not exercised diligence and good faith in complying with the Court's order, and we will be appealing this decision," the firm added.