Status: 09.06.2022 02:09 am
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Fraud investigations against ex-US President Trump have been underway since 2019 – after much back and forth there is now an appointment for a statement. Trump complains of a “witch hunt”. He has little time left to appeal.
Former US President Donald Trump and his eldest children are soon to testify under oath in a New York court in a fraud trial against the family holding company Trump Organization. The hearing of Donald, Donald Junior and Ivanka Trump has been set for July 15, according to leaked court documents. The Trumps can therefore request a suspension of the proceedings until June 13th. In order to prevent the testimony, the New York State Supreme Court would have to comply with a request from Trump’s lawyers.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is investigating suspicions in a civil investigation that the Trump Organization artificially inflated the value of real estate when it wanted to get loans from banks and undervalued it in other cases to reduce taxes or pay insurance premiums.
In January, James said he had collected evidence of fraudulent financial practices. In February, a judge ordered the three Trumps to testify under oath, which they appealed. James can sue the Trump Organization for damages upon presentation of evidence, but cannot press criminal charges.
Trump: Investigations are politically motivated
The former president has repeatedly called the Attorney General’s investigation politically motivated and a “witch hunt.” James is a member of President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party, who defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Then, in May, Trump paid a $110,000 fine for refusing to produce accounting and tax records as part of the civil investigation.
In parallel with this civil investigation, the Manhattan Attorney’s Office is conducting a criminal investigation into Trump Corporation’s business conduct. In July last year, charges were brought against the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, for tax fraud. The process is scheduled to begin this year. Trump has been accused of dubious business and financial practices for decades.
It is still unclear how dangerous the investigations in New York Trump could be. The 75-year-old has repeatedly raised a possible re-election for the presidency in 2024.
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