The decision published on Thursday rejects Trump’s argument that investigators from Democratic New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office were trying to get evidence against him to use in a parallel criminal case through improper channels.
A four-member appellate panel sided with James on Thursday in upholding a ruling by New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron in late February that required the Trumps to comply with subpoenas for testimony.
It was not immediately clear when depositions would happen or if Trump’s team would ask the state’s highest court to review the matter.
“Once again, the courts have ruled that Donald Trump must comply with our lawful investigation into his financial dealings,” James said in a statement on Thursday’s ruling. “We will continue to follow the facts of this case and ensure that no one can evade the law.”
Trump, along with children Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, were issued subpoenas to testify in December in the civil case that has been examining for years whether the Trump Organization or any of its executives illegally misled lenders and tax authorities about the value of assets.
In public filings, the attorney general’s office has said the company may have manipulated asset values of major properties to try to falsely obtain better loan rates and to evade tax liability.
Trump and his family have denied any wrongdoing. They are widely expected to assert their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination if depositions occur, in light of a pending parallel criminal investigation by Democratic Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, which investigators from James’s office are also participating in.
An attorney for Trump and his children said Thursday he was considering the ruling. It was not immediately clear if Trump’s side would ask the state’s highest court to consider the matter.
Eric Trump, another of Trump’s sons who has served as a company executive, was previously ordered to testify in James’s case and invoked the Fifth Amendment about 500 times during the session.
Bragg’s criminal case has yielded no charges against Trump or his children, and two lead prosecutors quit the case earlier this year as a grand jury term was set to expire, raising speculation about whether a viable investigation was still underway.
Under Bragg’s predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr., the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg were indicted in connection with a tax scheme. They have pleaded not guilty.
(c) 2022, The Washington Post · Shayna Jacobs
Tell the attorney general from NY state
To get a job I wonder how many people are in jail for robbery in NY state that she has prosecuted