Donald Trump agrees to answer questions in New York's civil probe
Donald Trump (White House photo)
NEW YORK (AP) - Former President Donald Trump, his namesake son and his daughter Ivanka have agreed to answer questions under oath next month in the New York attorney general's civil investigation into his business practices, unless their lawyers persuade the state's highest court to step in.
A Manhattan judge signed off Wednesday on an agreement that calls for the Trumps to give depositions — a legal term for sworn, pretrial testimony out of court — starting July 15.
Messages seeking comment were sent to the ex-president's attorneys. State Attorney General Letitia James' office declined to comment, as did the younger Trumps' attorney, Alan Futerfas.
The agreement comes after a series of setbacks for Donald Trump's efforts to put a stop to James' 3-year-long investigation.
James has said the probe has uncovered evidence that Trump's company misstated the value of assets such as skyscrapers and golf courses on financial statements for more than a decade. A lawyer for her office told a judge last month that evidence could support legal action against the former president, his company or both, though the attorney said no decision had been made.
Trump has decried the investigation as part of a politically motivated "witch hunt" against him.
A New York state appeals court ruled May 26 that Trump had to sit for a deposition, upholding a lower court's ruling that the attorney general had "the clear right" to question Trump and certain other principals in his company.
Then, on May 27, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that Trump had filed to seek a court order stopping James from investigating him.
The suit claimed that James, a Democrat, targeted the Republican ex-president because of political animus and violated his free speech and due process rights. A lawyer for Trump said at the time that the dismissal would be appealed.
James, meanwhile, said Trump had lobbed "baseless legal challenges" at her investigation and vowed it would continue.
Wednesday's agreement acknowledges that Trump can appeal to New York's top court, called the Court of Appeals, to try to overturn the decision that requires his deposition.
James' office started investigating Trump in 2019, after his former personal lawyer Michael Cohen told Congress that the businessperson-turned-politician had a history of misrepresenting the value of assets to gain favorable loan terms and tax benefits.
James' office also has been involved in a parallel, but separate, investigation by the Manhattan district attorney's office.