The New York attorney-general has expanded her investigation into Donald Trump’s business empire, issuing subpoenas to the ex-president’s two eldest children in addition to the former property developer himself.
Letitia James issued the subpoenas to Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr last month, according to court documents filed with the New York Supreme Court on Monday. A spokesperson from her office said investigators are “seeking interviews under oath” of all three family members.
The court filings said the subpoenas were issued “in connection with an investigation into the valuation of properties owned or controlled by Donald J Trump or the Trump Organization”. James’ investigation is believed to focus on whether Donald Trump inflated the value of his properties for some purposes — say, securing a bank loan or insurance — while minimising them when it came to paying taxes.
The new filings, dated December 30, indicated that lawyers for the former president and his adult children are seeking to block James’ staff from interviewing them as part of the inquiry.
“Despite numerous attempts to delay our investigation by the Trump Organization, we are confident that our questions will be answered and the truth will be uncovered because no one is above the law,” the spokesperson for the attorney-general said.
The subpoenas come after James in September signalled that more charges were likely to emerge from her office’s three-year investigation into Donald Trump’s business dealings.
“I can assure you that that investigation remains alive and well. So stay tuned,” she said at the time.
The subpoena requests were made at a delicate time for the probe, coming at the same time as the departure of Cyrus Vance, the Manhattan district attorney who in July jointly with James unveiled a 15-count criminal indictment against the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg.
Vance, who did not seek re-election in November, was replaced by Alvin Bragg, a veteran prosecutor who was sworn into office on New Year’s Day.
Legal experts have said the case against Weisselberg appeared part of an effort to pressure him to testify against Trump in both the Manhattan and New York State investigations. Weisselberg has pleaded not guilty. Donald Trump has dismissed the case as “a political witch hunt” crafted by his Democratic detractors.
The Trump Organization, a spokesperson for the former president and a lawyer representing his children did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Additional reporting by James Politi