Trump family
Donald and Ivanka have to testify in court
Like her father Donald, Ivanka Trump has to testify in court in New York.
© imago/UPI Photo
Now it’s getting tight for the Trump family: Donald, Ivanka and Donald Jr. have to testify under oath in court.
Things could get tricky for Donald Trump (75), Donald Trump Jr. (44) and Ivanka Trump (40). US federal judge Arthur F. Engoron in New York City ordered all three to testify under oath as part of a financial investigation into the family’s real estate empire. This is reported, among other things, by the US broadcaster CNBC. In concrete terms, this means that you must comply with the request of the Attorney General’s Office within 21 days and appear in court for an affidavit.
In addition, the ex-president was obliged to comply with another summons to produce documents and further information within 14 days. The judge followed the request of the public prosecutor’s office. The Trumps’ lawyers argued that the agency had no authority to request it. The Trumps can still appeal this decision.
The public prosecutor’s office accuses the Trumps of this
Lead prosecutor Letitia James (63) has been investigating the Trump Organization and the former US President since 2019 due to possible discrepancies. According to her statements, she has already collected evidence of “fraudulent financial conduct” by Trump and his companies. The accusation: The family holding company artificially inflated the value of real estate in order to obtain lavish loans from banks, for example. When setting taxes and insurance, however, the opposite was done in order to smuggle money past the tax authorities and get cheaper policies.
The allegations also have political implications as James is a member of the Democratic Party. Trump has commented on this topic several times and has so far rejected all allegations. In his opinion, James’ activities are purely politically motivated. In addition, it is not the first time that Trump’s statements are to be obtained in court in this regard: Eric Trump (38) has already been summoned, but refused any comment referring to his right to refuse to testify.