US judge orders Trump to appear in court in fraud case

New York – AFP
A US judge on Thursday ordered former President Donald Trump and two of his sons to testify under oath in a New York civil case related to alleged corporate fraud.
This decision constitutes the latest legal blow to Trump, 75, at a time when the former president and business magnate faces several other cases that threaten to complicate his candidacy for the White House again in 2024. The Trump family has repeatedly tried to stop the investigation by New York Attorney General Leticia James, who announced Last month it exposed “important evidence” of fraudulent or misleading practices within the Trump Organization.
After more than two hours of deliberation in court, New York State Judge Arthur Engoron rejected a petition by Trump and his sons, Donald Jr and Ivanka, to overturn James’s December subpoenas. The judge ordered Trump and his two sons to testify at James’s office within 21 days. But the Trump family is expected to appeal the decision. The judge also rejected Trump’s claim that the investigation by Democratic Attorney General Leticia James was politically motivated.
In the wake of the ruling, Trump’s lawyer criticized James’ investigation, again calling it “another politically motivated manhunt,” one of the former president’s favorite quotes.
Lawyer Alina Happa said in a statement: It is clear that the court’s decision has been taken in advance.
For her part, James praised the ruling and tweeted, “No one is above the law.” It said in January that its civil investigation found that the Trump Organization fraudulently overvalued multiple assets to secure loans and then undervalued them to reduce taxes. A similar investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney is underway into possible financial crimes and insurance fraud.
And in July, Alan Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s longtime chief financial officer, pleaded not guilty in a New York court on 15 counts of fraud and tax evasion, and his trial is scheduled to begin in the middle of this year.
In the midst of those investigations, the Trump Organization’s accounting firm Mazar declared that the organization’s financial data dating back nearly a decade was untrustworthy.
Mazars announced it was ending its relationship with Trump in part because of James’ findings. Trump has so far kept Americans in a state of confusion over whether he intends to run for the presidency as a Republican again. In Washington, Trump tried to prevent a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters from accessing White House records.