Former President Donald Trump will have to answer questions under oath in New York State’s civilian investigation into his business practices.
A panel of four appellate judges upheld Manhattan Judge Arthur Engoron’s decision on Feb. 17 to enforce the subpoenas for Mr. Trump and two of his children. They were called to testify in the investigation led by Attorney General, Letitia James.
The elected Democrat has been investigating since 2019 possible fraud in the Trump Organization’s tax practices.
Donald Trump appealed the decision in hopes of seeing it reversed. His lawyers argued that forcing their client and his children to testify violated their constitutional rights because their answers could be used in a parallel criminal investigation.
Having a criminal investigation does not preclude civil disclosure of facts relating thereto where a party may exercise his or her right not to blame himself or herself.written by magistrates, citing the Fifth Amendment which protects against self-incrimination.
Letitia James, a Democrat, said her investigation discovered evidence used by the Trump Organization wrong and deceptive assessments of his assets, such as golf courses and skyscrapers, to obtain bank loans and tax benefits.
The attorney general applauded the decision that came just two weeks after the panel heard the case. On Twitter, he wrote that the investigation was going on proceed relentlessly, for no one is above the law.
Again, the courts ruled that Donald Trump must comply with the requirements of our legal investigation into his business dealings.underlined the prosecutor in a written comment.
Donald Trump, a Republican, has denied all allegations against him and described the prosecutor’s search as a witch hunting politically motivated.
Representatives of the Trump family have not yet commented on the decision. The Trump clan could still go to New York State’s highest court in hopes of a decision in their favor.
Source: Radio-Canada
