WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 27: U.S. President Donald Trump reacts to a question during a news conference in the Briefing Room of the White House on September 27, 2020 in Washington, DC. Trump is preparing for the first presidential debate with former Vice President and Democratic Nominee Joe Biden on September 29th in Cleveland, Ohio (Photo: Getty)
Former President Donald Trump will be ordered to comply with New York Attorney Gen. Letitia James‘ civil investigation into the Trump Organization‘s financial practices, U.S. District Judge Brenda Sannes ruled as she dismissed Trump’s appeal on Friday.
The ruling comes a day after James’ subpoenas of Trump and his two children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., were upheld in a New York state appeals court. Trump had argued that James’ investigation was “in bad faith and without a legally sufficient basis.” Sannes disagreed, referencing former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen‘s 2019 testimony that Trump’s financial statements were misleading.
The investigation centers around whether or not the Trump Organization participated in fraudulent valuation processes of their real estate after finding that statements used by outsiders to determine the financial condition of the organization were not supported by the statements given to Trump Organization accountants. These financial dealings benefitted the organization by allowing them to receive loans and tax benefits.
Trump’s appeal argued that testifying in James’ civil probe violated their constitutional rights since their answers could incriminate them in an ongoing criminal investigation into the same matter.
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Thursday’s ruling disagreed.
“The existence of a criminal investigation does not preclude civil discovery of related facts, at which a party may exercise the privilege against self-incrimination,” the decision read, referring to the Fifth Amendment’s wording on against self-incrimination.
James responded to the decision in a Thursday tweet.
“Our investigation will continue undeterred because no one is above the law,” James wrote.
Trump’s lawyer, Alina Habba, indicated that Trump intends to appeal the decision to the Court of Appeals.
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