Legal pressure against the Trump family is building as a judge has ruled that Donald Trump, along with his eldest children Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, are required to testify in New York state attorney general Letitia James‘ probe into their family business.
The Trumps attempted to argue that they should not have to face subpoenas from James’ civil investigation while simultaneously under an ongoing investigation by the Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance for tax fraud also related to the Trump Organization. Judge Arthur Engoron of the New York State Supreme Court blasted their argument and determined they must testify on Thursday.
“This argument completely misses the mark,” Engoron said in his decision. “Neither OAG [Office of the Attorney General] nor the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has subpoenaed the New Trump Respondents to appear before a grand jury. The New Trump Respondents’ argument overlooks the salient fact that they have an absolute right to refuse to answer questions that they claim may incriminate them.”
Engoron even pointed out that nothing is stopping them from behaving in the same manner as Eric Trump when he testified for the same investigation two years ago. He reportedly invoked the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 500 times during the deposition.
Trump released an incendiary statement following the decision. “She [AG James] is doing everything within their corrupt discretion to interfere with my business relationships, and with the political process,” he wrote. “It is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history –– and remember, I can’t get a fair hearing in New York because of the hatred of me by Judges and the judiciary. It is not possible!”
This statement is a continuation of several screeds he’s made against James, who he claims is fronting a political hit job against him with the investigation. He has also frequently cited comments she made demonstrating desire to investigate the Trump family during her campaign for AG as evidence of this supposed bias.
Judge Engoron specifically refuted this assertion in his decision as well, when he wrote, “Attorney General James, just like respondent Donald J. Trump, was not deprived of her First Amendment rights to free speech when she was a politician running for a public office with investigatory powers.”
The Trump family members have 21 days as of February 17 to sit down for depositions, though their attorneys have stated that they intend to appeal this decision.
