New York’s attorney general is asking a state judge to force Eric Trump, the president’s son and a top official at the Trump Organization, to testify in an ongoing investigation into the president’s financial dealings before he took office.
The probe was launched last year to investigate claims that President Donald Trump had misrepresented his wealth to obtain financing from various institutions.
It was the result of testimony from Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who told Congress that the president had, on occasion, embellished his assets to secure favorable terms from financial entities, like Deutsche Bank.
Attorney General Letitia James said Monday that her office was investigating four properties owned by the Trump Organization: Seven Springs Estate in Westchester County, 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago, and Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles.
James said the Trump Organization, and a handful of individuals, haven’t complied with seven subpoenas that would provide testimony and documents they believe to be relevant to the investigation.
That includes Eric Trump, an executive vice president at the Trump Organization, who James said was involved in some of the transactions her office is investigating.
“For months, the Trump Organization has made baseless claims in an effort to shield evidence from a lawful investigation into its financial dealings,” James said. “They have stalled, withheld documents, and instructed witnesses, including Eric Trump, to refuse to answer questions under oath.”
Eric Trump, according to James, refused to appear for a deposition that was required under subpoena in recent weeks.
Details of the attorney general’s investigation were redacted from the court papers filed Monday, but broadly confirmed that New York state is investigating whether the president, and officials at his company, broke the law.
The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment.