- Bernd Debusmann Jr.
- BBC News – Washington
5 hours ago
Donald Trump arrived at the New York Attorney General’s office for questioning on Wednesday
Former US President Donald Trump said he refused to answer questions as part of the New York investigation into his family’s business practices.
Trump arrived at the New York attorney general’s office on Wednesday.
Officials accuse the Trump Organization of obtaining tax breaks and loans through fraudulent or misleading asset assessments.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and described the civil investigation as a witch hunt.
An hour following arriving at the Manhattan office, Trump issued a statement criticizing New York Attorney General Leticia James and the expanded investigation.
“Years of work and tens of millions of dollars have been spent on this long saga of mutilation, to no avail… I have refused to answer questions regarding the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen by the Constitution of the United States,” he said.
Trump’s summons comes just days following the FBI carried out an unprecedented search warrant at his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, as part of a separate investigation allegedly linked to his concealment of classified official documents and materials.
While the attorney general’s investigation is a civil investigation, a parallel investigation is underway by the Manhattan attorney general’s office that might lead to criminal charges being brought once morest him.
Legal analysts note that Trump may have declined to answer questions on Wednesday because his answers might have been used once morest him in another criminal investigation.
The former president invoked the Fifth Amendment, which protects people from being forced to testify once morest themselves in a criminal case.
The prosecutor’s office said the “interrogation” statements – a legal term meaning giving evidence in a place other than a court – were among the last remaining investigative procedures to be carried out.
Once the investigation is over, the attorney general can then decide to file a lawsuit to seek financial sanctions once morest Trump or his company.
photo released, Getty Images
New York Attorney General Letitia James is leading a civil investigation into the Trump family’s business dealings
The attorney general has sought Trump’s testimony — and that of two of his sons, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. — for more than six months while the family fought subpoenas through the New York court system.
Trump’s lawyers have also tried to sue James in an effort to prevent her from questioning the former president and his children.
But last February, a New York Supreme Court judge ruled that all three must appear for statements. Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr were questioned earlier this month.
The judge said the investigation uncovered “abundant evidence of potential financial fraud” that gives the attorney general a “clear right” to question the former president and two of his implicated children under oath.
James praised the judge’s decision as a victory, saying that “justice has prevailed”.
The investigation, which opened in 2019, seeks to prove that Trump and the Trump Organization overvalued the banks’ assets while seeking loans. The alleged fraud is said to have occurred before Trump took office.
Trump’s other legal battles:
Earlier this week, the FBI searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in what is said to be his handling of classified records.
A House Select Committee is investigating his actions surrounding the rioting at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 — when his supporters rioted in Congress in Washington, D.C., as lawmakers gathered to certify John Biden’s election victory.
The Justice Department is considering his challenge to the results of the 2020 presidential election.
The attorney general in Fulton County, Georgia, is investigating whether Trump and his associates attempted to interfere with election results in that state.
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court ruled that lawmakers can access Trump’s tax records, confirming the earlier court decision.
