Further on Contempt Sanctions for Failure to Produce Foreign Documents (2/20/17)

I previously blogged on a case In re Various Grand Jury Subpoenas, 2017 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 9697 (SD NY 2017), involving contempt sanctions for failing to produce foreign bank and entity documents allegedly in the control of the person subject to the grand jury subpoena.  See Contempt Sanctions Continued in GJ Subpoena for Required Records (Federal Tax Crimes Blog 1/25/17), here.  On February 13, 2017, Judge Pauley issued a further order staying the effective date for the contempt sanction of $1,000 per day to comment from February 14, 2017 to March 20, 2017 to permit the subpoenaed party additional time to arrange with the foreign entities and coordinate with the Government to produce the documents.  The key documents for this new opinion are:=

• The order, here.
• The motion was filed but apparently the memo in support was filed under seal; the motion was just the bare motion, so I don't link it.
• The United States response, here.

The subpoenaed person sought to purge the contempt order previously issued by showing that she had complied with the compulsion in the subpoena by requesting that the Swiss banks produce the records directly to the Government.  One of the banks notified the person that, under Swiss law, it could not produce the documents to the Government.  But, the Government urged, whether or not that was true, with the right form of request (requesting production to her rather than the Government), the banks could produce the documents to the person and she could then provide them to the Government.  Judge Pauley gave the additional time to make sure that she had the time necessary to get the documents, but he makes clear that the Government will not wait forever -- hence the March 20, 2017 date.