Trump to testify in New York investigation into his business practices

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to testify on Wednesday in a civil investigation by the New York attorney general into his family’s business practices, as he deals with a flurry of other legal woes.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James is conducting a probe into whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values. Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, fought for months to avoid testifying.

Late Tuesday, Trump said in a posting on his app Truth Social that he would see the New York attorney general on Wednesday. A source also told Reuters that Trump is scheduled to testify in the probe on Wednesday. Trump’s children were already deposed, the source said.

The deposition will not be public.

A spokeswoman for James has declined to comment, and a lawyer for Trump did not respond to requests for comment.

James has said her investigation uncovered significant evidence that the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses, and other real estates, overstated asset values to obtain favorable loans and understated the values to get tax breaks.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs following remarks at the America First Policy Institute America First Agenda Summit in Washington, U.S., July 26, 2022. REUTERS/Sarah Silbiger

Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the New York investigation politically motivated. James is a Democrat.

“In New York City tonight. Seeing racist N.Y.S. Attorney General tomorrow, for a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. history! My great company, and myself, are being attacked from all sides. The Banana Republic!”, Trump said in a post on Truth Social late on Tuesday.

It is unclear how much Trump will say during the long-anticipated deposition. He may decline to answer questions on the grounds that he might incriminate himself, according to a person familiar with the matter.

But the testimony could help determine where the probe goes. No case has been filed.

Separately, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched Trump’s Florida estate on Monday, an escalation of the federal investigation into whether the former president illegally removed records from the White House as he was leaving office in January 2021.

Trump has been flirting publicly with the question of running again for president in 2024 but has not said clearly whether he will do so.

The warrant to search Trump’s Florida estate relates to the National Archives and Records Administration, which is charged with safeguarding presidential records that belong to the public, and whether there were classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Several investigations have focused on Trump since he left office, after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in an unsuccessful bid to overturn his election loss. Trump continues to claim falsely that the election was stolen through widespread voting fraud.

Trump remains the Republican Party’s most influential voice, and some observers said the FBI search could bolster his standing with Republican voters.