Former President Donald TrumpHis eponymous son and daughter Ivanka have agreed to answer sworn questions next month in the New York attorney general’s civil investigation into his business practices, unless their attorneys persuade the state’s highest court to step in.
A Manhattan judge signed on Wednesday an agreement calling for Trump to release the deposits – a legal provision for sworn testimony in court – starting July 15.
Messages seeking comment were sent to the former president’s attorneys. The Office of State Attorney General Letitia James declined to comment, as did Trump’s younger attorney, Alan Futerfas.
The deal comes after a series of setbacks to Donald Trump’s efforts to thwart James’ three-year investigation.
James said the investigation uncovered evidence that Trump’s company misrepresented the value of properties such as skyscrapers and golf courses on financial statements for more than a decade. Last month, an attorney for her office told a judge the evidence could support legal action against the former president, his company, or both, although the attorney said not yet. no decision has been made.
Trump has criticized the investigation as part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” against him.
A New York state appeals court ruled on May 26 that Trump must sit to be removed from office, upholding a lower court ruling that the attorney general has “explicit authority” to question Trump and a number of other principals in his company.
Then, on May 27, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Trump had filed asking the court to stop James from investigating him.
The lawsuit alleges that James, a Democrat, targeted the former Republican president out of political hatred and violated his right to free speech and due process rights. An attorney for Trump at the time said the dismissal would be appealed.
James, meanwhile, said Trump had lobbied for “baseless legal challenges” over her investigation and vowed it would continue.
Wednesday’s agreement acknowledges that Trump could appeal to New York’s top court, known as the Court of Appeals, to try to overturn the decision requiring him to be removed from office.
James’s office began investigating Trump in 2019, after his former personal attorney Michael Cohen told Congress that the businessman turned politician had a history of misrepresenting the value of his assets in order to obtain legal benefits. Beneficial loan terms and tax benefits.
James’s office was also involved in a parallel, but separate, investigation by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
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