Judge orders Trump, children to answer questions about their business practices under oath

A New York judge on Thursday ordered former President Donald Trump and two of his children to answer questions under oath about the Trump Organization’s business practices in the state attorney general’s civil probe of the company.

Lawyers for Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump had sought to quash the subpoenas from Attorney General Letitia James’ office, arguing her investigation is politically motivated and designed to provide fuel for an ongoing criminal probe into the company by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

In his ruling, state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron gave the green light for the three to be deposed within the next three weeks. He also ordered the former president to turn over documents and information that had been subpoenaed within two weeks, and portrayed the Trumps’ claims of being selectively targeted as overblown.

The Trumps’ lawyers indicated at a hearing earlier in the day that they would appeal if the judge let the depositions proceed. “There is a likelihood that we will appeal,” Alan Futerfas, the attorney for the Trump children, said.

James celebrated the ruling in a statement, saying, “Today, justice prevailed.”

“No one will be permitted to stand in the way of the pursuit of justice, no matter how powerful they are. No one is above the law,” she added.

James’ office is looking into whether to file a civil suit against the Trump Organization over allegedly inflated financial statements. In court filings, her office alleged it has “uncovered substantial evidence establishing numerous misrepresentations in Mr. Trump’s financial statements provided to banks, insurers, and the Internal Revenue Service.”

Among the items James wants to ask Trump about are several “Statements of Financial Condition” involving the company that the attorney general says were inflated by hundreds of millions of dollars and that had been signed off on by the former president.

The attorney general’s office said in January that it has not yet reached a final decision about whether the evidence it says it has found merits legal action.

Lawyers for the Trumps contended James wants to question the trio to improperly gather evidence in a related criminal probe by the Manhattan district attorney’s office.

Two lawyers from James’ office are assisting in the district attorney’s investigation, which has led to criminal charges against the Trump Organization and its former chief financial officer, Allan Weisselberg. Both the company and Weisselberg have pleaded not guilty to the charges, which include allegations of tax fraud and falsifying business records.