Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump subpoenaed in New York probe
Category: News & Politics
Via: hallux • 4 years ago • 25 commentsBy: Jonathan Stempel and Karen Freifeld - Reuters
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
NEW YORK, Jan 3 (Reuters) - New York's attorney general has subpoenaed two of Donald Trump's adult children, Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump, as part of her civil probe into the former U.S. president's business practices and namesake company.
The subpoenas from the office of Attorney General Letitia James were disclosed in a Monday filing with a New York state court in Manhattan.
James has also subpoenaed Trump. Lawyers for the Trump family are seeking to block her from questioning the former Republican president and his children, the filing said.
Lawyers for the family were not immediately available for comment.
The subpoenas were first reported by the New York Times, which cited a person familiar with the matter.
Last month, Trump sued James to block her civil probe into the Trump Organization, accusing the Democrat of partisan politics.
James has been investigating whether the company fraudulently inflated the values of its real estate holdings to obtain bank loans, and reduced the values to save on taxes.
Her probe is related to but separate from a criminal probe by the Manhattan district attorney into the Trump Organization's business practices. James joined that probe last May.
Eric Trump, another of Trump's adult children, was questioned by James' office in October 2020.
Having spent their lives suing anything that moves, the Trumps are giving new meaning to 'live by the sword, die by the sword'.
The article has been updated:
NEW YORK, Jan 3 (Reuters) - New York state's attorney general is demanding that two of Donald Trump's adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, testify in her civil probe into the former U.S. president's business practices and namesake company.
Subpoenas to the Trumps from the office of Attorney General Letitia James were disclosed in a Monday filing with a New York state court in Manhattan.
Donald Trump has also been subpoenaed to testify under oath , and the Trump family plans to ask a judge who has overseen disputes related to the probe to block James' lawyers from obtaining their testimony, according to the filing.
James' subpoenas reflect an escalation of her nearly three-year probe into whether the Trump Organization fraudulently inflated the values of its real estate holdings to obtain bank loans, and reduced their values to lower its tax bills.
Alina Habba, a lawyer for Donald Trump, in an emailed statement accused James, a Democrat, of having "weaponized her office" through a "political witch hunt" that violates the former Republican president's constitutional rights.
"Her actions are a threat to our democracy and I plan to hold her accountable to the fullest extent," Habba said in response to a request for comment from the Trump Organization.
Lawyers for Trump's children did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Eric Trump, another adult son of Donald Trump, was questioned by James' office in October 2020.
Donald Trump turned over the Trump Organization to his adult sons and the company's longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, when he became president in 2017.
NEW YORK, Jan 3 (Reuters) - New York state's attorney general is demanding that two of Donald Trump's adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, testify in her civil probe into the former U.S. president's business practices and namesake company.
Subpoenas to the Trumps from the office of Attorney General Letitia James were disclosed in a Monday filing with a New York state court in Manhattan.
Donald Trump has also been subpoenaed to testify under oath , and the Trump family plans to ask a judge who has overseen disputes related to the probe to block James' lawyers from obtaining their testimony, according to the filing.
James' subpoenas reflect an escalation of her nearly three-year probe into whether the Trump Organization fraudulently inflated the values of its real estate holdings to obtain bank loans, and reduced their values to lower its tax bills.
Alina Habba, a lawyer for Donald Trump, in an emailed statement accused James, a Democrat, of having "weaponized her office" through a "political witch hunt" that violates the former Republican president's constitutional rights.
"Her actions are a threat to our democracy and I plan to hold her accountable to the fullest extent," Habba said in response to a request for comment from the Trump Organization.
Lawyers for Trump's children did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Eric Trump, another adult son of Donald Trump, was questioned by James' office in October 2020.
Donald Trump turned over the Trump Organization to his adult sons and the company's longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, when he became president in 2017.
RELATED CRIMINAL PROBE
James' probe has focused on properties including the Seven Springs Estate in Westchester County, New York, a downtown Manhattan office building, the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles, and the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.
It is related to but separate from a criminal probe by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, and which James joined last May, into the Trump Organization's business practices.
Weisselberg and the company pleaded not guilty in that probe last July to charges they ran what a prosecutor called a "sweeping and audacious" tax fraud in which company executives were awarded "off-the-books" benefits over 15 years.
The criminal probe is now overseen by Alvin Bragg, who was sworn in on Saturday as district attorney to succeed fellow Democrat Cyrus Vance, who led that office for 12 years and began the probe in 2018
Bragg told CNN last month that he plans to be personally involved in the criminal probe, and wanted his top lawyers on the case to stay on.
Last month, Trump sued James in a federal court in Albany, the state capital, to halt her civil probe, accusing her of trying to "harass, intimidate, and retaliate against a private citizen who she views as a political opponent."
Donald Trump and his adult children have not been accused of criminal wrongdoing, and James cannot file criminal charges because her probe is civil.
I am not holding my breath that they will finally be sentenced and be behind bars with that jackalope Garland in charge of the DOJ.
It's a civil case with monetary fines or damages.
Could be interesting.
the Trumps always try to settle out of court without admitting any guilt
Civil investigations oft end in criminal charges.
Defrauding the City of NY, the state of NY and several of its Counties of large sums of taxes or fees?
Possible bank fraud in obtaining mortgages or favorable rates by over or under valuing property
depending on which way the wind was blowing?
Say it isn't so.
The cs RNC will pay any judgments just like they are doing now with paying his legal defenses.
Maybe the court can ban that, not sure. These people, like their Russian tenants, clients and friends are money launderers extraordinaire.
Seems like bullshit to me. Since when does a municipality take a property owners word as a means for assessing value on a property? Same thing goes for a Bank. A Property Owner can say whatever they want as it's just their opinion but it's still the Bank's or Municipality's responsibility to do their due diligence. The values of the type of properties Trump owns can change drastically over a few years compared to single family and other typical buildings. Large High Rise type residential and office buildings can double in value or lose half their value faster than any other type of real estate.
If a private citizen foots the bill, then there is no recourse. But if the RNC is using taxpayer dollars, then a judge needs to step in on that bs and charge all involved under misappropriation of funds.
Poor Trumps just can’t catch a break.
“You always wanted to show losses for tax purposes....almost all real estate developers did - and often re-negotiate with banks, it was sport.”
- Donald Trump
That took a year or two, next step in 2025 and then a trial when I'm dead and gone....Justice delayed is Justice delayed and delayed and delayed and........