New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a motion in state court on Monday to compel the production of documents from the Trump Organization as well as testimony from its key personnel, including Eric Trump, the president’s son.
The motion is part of an ongoing investigation launched into Donald Trump and the Trump Organization’s finances in 2019. The investigation began after Michael Cohen, the president’s former lawyer, testified before Congress that Trump and his organization would inflate the value of certain assets in order to obtain favorable insurance and loan rates, while simultaneously deflating the value of other assets in order to avoid taxes. The Office of the Attorney General issued subpoenas for thousands of documents regarding the finances of several Trump properties in New York and elsewhere, as well as requests for depositions with key Trump Organization personnel, including Eric Trump, who is currently the executive vice president of the organization.
After initially agreeing to comply with the investigation, the Trump Organization has still not turned over the requested documents or interviews. James filed the motion under Executive Law § 63(12), which grants the attorney general authority to take testimony and issue subpoenas where it is related to the subject under investigation. James accused the organization of “stall[ing]” and “refus[ing] to answer questions under oath.” She went on to say, “These questions will be answered and the truth will be uncovered, because no one is above the law.”
Alan Garten, chief legal officer of the Trump Organization, questioned the timing of the motion, filed as it was during the Republican National Convention, and claimed that “this investigation is all about politics.”