James OK’D to question Trumps
Ruling says former president, children must sit, answer under oath
Donald Trump and two of his adult children must sit for questioning under oath as part of the New York attorney general’s civil investigation into their business practices, a state appeals court ruled Thursday.
Trump’s lawyers had argued that the inquiry by the state attorney general, Letitia James, was politically motivated and that she should not be permitted to question him or his children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump. The lawyers also claimed that the attorney general could not force Donald Trump to face questioning in her civil investigation because he was also the subject of a criminal inquiry into some of the same business practices.
But the court found that the Trumps had not shown they were being treated differently from other investigative targets and argued that “the existence of a criminal investigation does not preclude civil discovery of related facts.”
The decision represented the latest in a string of legal setbacks for Trump, who was also recently held in contempt of court for failing to fully comply with a subpoena from James seeking documents. And the rebuke will likely embolden James at a crucial moment in her investigation, as she weighs whether to sue Trump and the Trump Organization, his family real estate business.
“Once again, the courts have ruled that Donald Trump must comply with our lawful investigation into his financial dealings,” James said in a statement. “We will continue to follow the facts of this case and ensure that no one can evade the law.”
But the ruling does not mean that the Trumps will necessarily face questioning. The family’s lawyers could appeal to New York’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, although it is not clear whether that court would agree to hear the case.
Alan S. Futerfas, the lawyer who argued the case for the Trumps, said they were considering the court’s decision.