Judge orders Trumps to testify

A judge has ruled that former US president Donald Trump must testify under oath in New York’s civil probe into alleged fraudulent practices at his family business.

The ruling is the latest legal blow to Mr Trump (pictured) as he fights numerous cases that threaten to complicate an attempt to have another run at the White House in 2024.

New York judge Arthur Engoron ordered Mr Trump and his two eldest children, Donald Jr and Ivanka, to comply with subpoenas issued by AttorneyGeneral Letitia James.

He said the three must sit for depositions within 21 days. The Trumps are expected to appeal the order.

Earlier during oral arguments, the Trumps’ lawyers said that the subpoenas should be quashed because having them give evidence in the civil case would prejudice p their rights in a parallel criminal investigation.

But Justice Engoron said

their argument “completely misses the mark”, noting that neither the Manhattan District Attorney, which is running the criminal investigation, nor Ms James’s office have ordered the Trumps to appear before a grand jury.

In his ruling, Justice Engoron added that the Trumps could invoke their Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves during questioning in the civil case.

He noted that Mr Trump’s other son, Eric, had pleaded the fifth “more than 500 times” during a deposition for James’s investigation in October 2020.

Ms James, a Democrat, announced in January that her investigation into the Trump Organisation had uncovered “significant evidence” of fraud and misleading practices.

She said the civil inquiry had found that the Trump Organisation fraudulently overvalued multiple assets to secure loans and then undervalued them to minimise taxes.

Last year, the Trump Organisation and its long-serving finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded not guilty in a New York court to 15 felony fraud and tax evasion charges.