New York Attorney General Letitia James summoned the former president to appear Donald Trump And two of her children are seeking their testimony in a civil investigation into the family’s business practices, according to court documents released Monday.
The subpoenas for Mr Trump, Donald Jr and Ivanka Trump stem from an investigation “into the valuation of real estate owned or controlled” by Mr Trump and his company, The Trump Organization, according to the filing.
Letters seeking comment were left with former President Trump’s lawyers and the attorney general’s office.
The latter’s attempt to obtain the former president’s testimony was publicly disclosed in December, but Monday’s filing of the complaint was the first public disclosure of investigators’ interest in speaking with Ivanka and Donald Jr.
The Trumps are expected to provide feedback in an effort to overturn the subpoenas, setting the stage for a legal battle similar to the one that occurred last year after James’ office cited the emergence of another Trump son, Eric.
Then the attorney general’s office went to court to execute a subpoena, and the judge forced him to testify.
The former president sued the attorney general last month, seeking to end the investigation after she asked him to appear before the attorney general on January 7. Trump’s lawsuit, filed in federal court, alleges that the investigation violated his constitutional rights in a “disguised attempt to publicly defame Trump and his associates.”
Letitia James, a Democrat, has spent more than two years investigating whether the Trump Organization misled banks or tax officials about the value of its assets — by inflating them for favorable loan terms or by underestimating them for tax savings.
Although the civil investigation is separate from the criminal investigation conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, Ms. James’s office was involved in both investigations.
Earlier this year, former District Attorney Cyrus Vance gained access to a real estate mogul’s tax records after a years-long battle that twice went to the United States Supreme Court. Before stepping down at the end of last year, Vance called a new grand jury to hear the evidence, as he considered whether he should add more charges. These moves led to charges of tax evasion in July against the Trump Organization and longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg.
The two investigations are related in part to allegations in news reports and Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, that the businessman had a habit of distorting the value of his assets.
Ms. James’ office has also issued subpoenas to local governments in connection with a civil investigation into cases involving Mr Trump’s property in upper Manhattan called Seven Springs and Trump’s tax benefits.
The attorney general has also considered similar cases involving an office building in New York, a hotel in Chicago and a golf course near Los Angeles. Her office also won a series of court rulings that forced the Trump Organization and a law firm it had hired to hand over numerous documents to her.
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