Ivanka Trump (left), Donald Trump Jr.Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty (2)
Former PresidentDonald Trump’s childrenIvanka TrumpandDonald Trump Jr.are fighting subpoenas from the New York attorney general’s office issued as part of an ongoing civil investigation into whether the Trump Organization and its executives committed fraud.
The disclosure of the subpoenas for Ivanka and Don Jr. came via acourt filingmade public on Monday, thoughThe NewYork Timesreports that subpoenas for both Trump himself and his two children wereissued on Dec. 1.
Lawyers for the Trump Organization aresuing to block the attorney generalfrom questioning Trump himself and his children.
The filing states that the Trump lawyershave asked a judgeto quash what they call an “unprecedented and unconstitutional” bid for their testimony.
An attorney representing Don Jr. and Ivanka did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment but told theTimesthat the “subpoenas circumvent the rights to grand jury protections we all have.”
Trump’s middle sonEric Trump, who serves as an executive vice president at Trump Organization, was subpoenaed in 2020 andearlier provided his testimony.
Donald Trump.Spencer Platt/Getty
New York Attorney General Letitia James opened theinvestigationinto Trump and the Trump Organization in 2019 after his former attorney and fixer, Michael Cohen,testifiedbefore Congress that he believed that the president’s annual financial statements inflated the values of his assets — an effort to obtain favorable terms for loans and insurance coverage — while allegedly deflating the value of other assets to reduce real estate taxes.
In August 2020, James filed amotionto compel the Trump Organization to provide her office with documents and testimony from multiple witnesses, including 37-year-old Eric. That September, a state Supreme Court judge ordered Eric totestify under oathas part of the investigation.
Like Eric, Don Jr. has served as an executive at the Trump Organization, helping run the company after his father took office in 2017. The brothers served alongside the company’s top financial executive, Allen Weisselberg, whopleaded “not guilty” to criminal indictmentslast July after being charged with an allegedly “sweeping and audacious” tax fraud scheme involving his work at the Trump Organization.
Ivanka previously worked at the Trump family’s real estate business before becoming a senior White House adviser when her father assumed office. She did not return to the firm when her dad’s term ended.
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The inquiry related to the subpoenas is a civil one, meaning James cannot file criminal charges. If evidence of wrongdoing is uncovered, however, her office could file a lawsuit.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and labeled the investigations politically motivated “witch hunts.”
source: people.com
