New York State Attorney General Letitia James on Wednesday announced civil lawsuits against former US President Donald Trump and some of his children, including Donald Trump Jr. And Ivanka Trump. James made the move after his department’s three-year investigation into the tax practices of the Trump Organization, a Trump family company.
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The Trump Organization is accused of “numerous frauds and misrepresentations” in the preparation of annual reports from 2011 to 2021. The investigation focused on whether the Trump Organization misrepresented the value of its real estate. According to James, the investigation revealed “significant evidence” that Trump and his company had fraudulently valued properties.
‘Witch Hunt’
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and described James’ investigation as a “politically motivated witch hunt.” James is a Democrat. The Trump Organization calls James’ allegations ‘baseless’.
The lawsuit was announced following a contentious investigation in which James accused Trump, his company and several family members of delaying tactics. Trump and his children allegedly ignored subpoenas to avoid testifying. For example, on August 10, Trump refused to answer questions in a lengthy closed-door hearing at the attorney general’s office, asserting his constitutional right against self-incrimination more than 400 times.
Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump agreed to submit statements only after court rulings. Another Trump kid, Eric Trump, self-incriminated more than 500 times during the 2020 question.
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Mar-a-Lago
The FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on August 8 with a court warrant. It was part of a criminal investigation into his handling of classified materials collected during his time in the White House. Georgia is still under criminal investigation into his efforts to alter the results of the 2020 election in that state.
James’ civil investigation is separate from the criminal investigation of tax fraud against the Trump Organization by New York City Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Brock. The case is scheduled for October. The former chief financial officer, Alan Weiselberg, has already admitted making illegal payments to employees and will testify against the company.
