Former President Trump, his namesake son, and his daughter Ivanka have agreed to answer questions under oath next month in the civil investigation by state Attorney General Letitia James into his business practices—unless their lawyers persuade the state's highest court to step in. A Manhattan judge signed off Wednesday on an agreement that calls for the Trumps to give depositions—a legal term for sworn, pretrial testimony out of court—starting July 15, the AP reports. Another Trump son, Eric Trump, gave a deposition in 2020 but declined to answer some questions.
The new agreement comes after a series of setbacks for the former president's efforts to block James' 3-year investigation. James has said the probe has uncovered evidence that Trump’s company exaggerated the value of assets such as skyscrapers, golf courses, and even his Manhattan penthouse to get loans, insurance, and tax breaks for land donations. A lawyer for her office told a judge last month that evidence could support legal action against the former president, his company or both, though the attorney said no decision had been made. Trump has decried the investigation as part of a politically motivated “witch hunt” against him.
A New York state appeals court ruled May 26 that Trump had to undergo a deposition, upholding a lower court's ruling that the attorney general had "the clear right" to question Trump and certain other principals in his company. Then, on May 27, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that Trump had filed to seek a court order stopping James from investigating him. Wednesday's agreement acknowledges that the Trumps can appeal to New York's top court, called the Court of Appeals, to try to overturn the decision that requires their depositions.
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