Former President Donald Trump and two of his children must testify under oath in the state's civil probe into his business operations, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James.
James' subpoenas were issued in December, and Judge Arthur Engoron ordered the former president and his two eldest children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr., to cooperate. The judge ordered the Trumps to appear in court for a deposition within 21 days. After a two-hour hearing with attorneys representing the Trump and James' office, he made the verdict.
Donald Trump's Children Must Testify in NY Fraud Investigation
The subpoenas were issued as part of an ongoing civil investigation by James. The subpoenas requested testimony and records in connection with an inquiry into the valuation of properties owned or managed by Donald J. Trump or the Trump Organization, as well as any other matter that the Attorney General considers relevant.
The Trump family retaliated with a lawsuit accusing James of ignoring legal standards in order to seek political favor. Trump's claim that James has vowed to investigate and prosecute the Trump family to "get votes, money, and support, and now, as Attorney General, to obtain political support," according to Fox News.
At a hearing earlier in the day, Trumps' attorneys stated that if the court allowed the depositions to begin, they would file an appeal. Alan Futerfas, the Trump children's attorney, said, "There's a good chance we'll appeal."
James' office is considering filing a civil complaint against the Trump Organization for allegedly falsified financial records. Her agency claimed in court documents that it had unearthed considerable evidence proving repeated misrepresentations in Trump's financial statements to banks, insurers, and the IRS.
In January, the attorney general's office stated that it had not made a final determination on whether the information it claims to have discovered warrants legal action. James sought to interrogate the trio to inappropriately obtain evidence in a related criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office, according to the Trumps' attorneys, NBC News reported.
Ex-POTUS' Financial Statements Cause Extended Problem
According to Donald Trump's lawyer, Ron Fischetti, the case is "unique" since Trump is a former president of the United States, and if he invokes the Fifth Amendment while answering questions, "he'll be on every front page in the world." Although the US Supreme Court has determined that exercising one's Fifth Amendment rights does not constitute an admission of guilt, Trump gave a different perspective during his 2016 presidential campaign.
Other problems for Trump have developed as a result of the financial statement claims, including Mazars' decision to cut ties with the Trump Organization after evaluating the financial statements it participated in creating.
Trump has dubbed James' probe a political "witch hunt" and seeks to halt it. He has not said if he would run for president again in 2024. Though Trump revealed some probable disparities in a five-page statement on Tuesday, his lawyers argued he did not know enough to reply to charges of erroneous assessments.
The Trumps have not been charged with any criminal offenses. Separately, the Attorney General of the District of Columbia is suing the Trump Organization and Trump's inauguration committee for allegedly misusing US$1.1 million in charitable money. On Thursday, a trial date of September 26 was established, according to The Straits Times.
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