Former President Trump and his daughter Ivanka will have to testify before the New York Attorney General’s Office.
Foto:
Drew Angerer / Getty Images
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Before it was confirmed Donald Trump and his sons Ivanka y Donald Jr. lose the court appeal on the obligation to testify for the fraud investigation of the Trump Organization, the New York Attorney General’s Office had set the date for it.
It will be on July 15, 2022, at an unspecified time, when the former president and his two eldest sons will testify before the representatives of the office of Attorney General Letitia James, after an intense legal battle in New York courts.
Last week, former President Trump another resource to avoid sitting on the bench of those questioned, so he must comply with the judge’s order and answer questions about the investigation that began in 2019 about how the values of some of his properties were altered so that he and his company obtained juicy profits, both through insurance and in terms of loans.
In the past week, the appeals court told Trump’s lawyers that there was no “substantial constitutional issue” that would justify stopping the obligation to testify, respecting the decision of an intermediate court of appeals.
The court also dismissed a motion by Alan Futerfas and the Trumps’ legal team to suspend subpoenas already served by prosecutor James.
Part of the Trumps’ legal argument is that prosecutors could use their testimony to open a criminal investigation, when the investigation now remains civil.
In previous decisions, a judge indicated to the former president and his children that they are free to adhere to the Fifth Amendment so as not to incriminate themselves, if they consider it pertinent.
This new setback to the Trumps occurs after the Manhattan judge, Arthur Engoron, ordered the former president to deliver documents requested by the prosecution, but by refusing he was punished with the payment of $10,000 dollars for each day that he did not comply with the decisionwhile he was declared in contempt.
After appealing that order, the judge agreed to withdraw the contempt sentencebut maintained the economic sanction on the delivery of documents requested by the prosecutor’s office James.
The prosecutor’s office indicated that it has received more than 900,000 documents from the Trump Organization, but only 10 came from the personal files of the former president, so the judge’s order forced it to deliver everything requested, including handwritten notes.
The investigation of prosecutor James began in 2019, after the former personal lawyer of the former president, Michael Cohentestified before Congress – when Russian intervention in the 2016 election was being investigated – that in the annual financial statements of the Trump Organization property values were inflatedin order to obtain favorable terms for loans and insurance coverage.
However, the company, according to Cohen’s revelations, had also written down the value of other assets to pay less taxes on real estate.
James’ investigation looks at four real estate projects and Trump’s attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills, an NFL team.
It is not clear if the questions to the former president will take place in his offices or those of the New York Prosecutor’s Office.
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