New York Attorney General Letitia James' office asked a judge to sanction former President Trump and related parties on Tuesday, accusing them of making "demonstrably false" denials in response to the state's civil fraud lawsuit.
Why it matters: The attorney general's office is seeking the sanctions against the former president, his three elder children, the Trump Organization and their attorneys to prevent delays in the lawsuit, according to a letter to the judge from Kevin Wallace, attorney for James, accusing the defendants of "frivolous conduct."
What they're saying: "Defendants falsely deny facts they have admitted in other proceedings, they deny knowledge sufficient to respond to factual allegations that are plainly within their knowledge, and they propound affirmative defenses that have been repeatedly rejected by this Court as frivolous and without merit," said Wallace in the letter to New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron.
- "A cursory review of the [filings] reveals that a number of the denials are demonstrably false and actually contradict sworn statements by the Defendants in other proceedings."
Flashback: Engoron earlier this month denied Trump's request to dismiss the lawsuit, citing "frivolous" arguments.
The big picture: James' office filed the civil lawsuit in September, accusing the Trump parties of undervaluing assets for tax purposes and inflating Trump's net worth and seeking a $250 million judgment. The former president's children Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump are named in the suit.
- The defendants have previously denied wrongdoing in the lawsuit, which they argue is politically motivated.
- Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.
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