NY attorney general seeks to subpoena Trump to testify in fraud investigation

The New York State attorney general, Letitia James, is seeking to subpoena Donald Trump in a civil fraud investigation. James wants to question Trump on January 7 as part of a civil inquiry into his business practices.

The investigation seeks to determine whether Trump or his family business, The Trump Organization, intentionally submitted false property values for tax purposes. The civil probe includes the $100 million debt forgiveness of the financial restructuring of the Trump International Hotel & Tower in 2010.

James’ office is also collaborating on a separate criminal investigation carried out by the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr. New York state has been investigating Trump since 2019, when his former attorney, Michael Cohen, testified to Congress that Trump exaggerated the values of his assets to secure loans and insurance policies.

“We will wait until we see what they show us in their subpoena and we will respond with our motions,” responded Trump’s lawyer Ronald Fischetti. “This is purely political and he has done nothing wrong and we are not surprised at all.”

The Trump Organization said the investigation was a “political witch hunt,” in a statement sent to the Washington Post. “The only focus of the New York AG is to investigate Trump, all for her own political ambitions,” the statement said. “This political prosecution is illegal, unethical and is a travesty to our great state and legal system.”

"New York is being overrun by violence, children are being shot in Times Square, arsonists are setting Christmas decorations ablaze and homelessness is through the roof, yet the only focus of the New York AG is to investigate Trump, all for her own political ambitions as she attempts to run for Governor," said a spokesperson for the Trump Organization.