Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (C) gives two thumbs up as Donald Trump Jr. (L) and Ivanka Trump (R) stand and cheer for Eric Trump as he delivers his speech during the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 20, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
Former President Donald Trump and two of his adult children are tentatively set to begin testifying as part of a civil investigation of the Trump family business by the New York attorney general on July 15, a court filing revealed Wednesday.
The agreement to testify by Trump and Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump is conditional.
The testimony would not start on that date if a New York state appeals court issues a stay of a judge’s order that the Trumps must answer questions under oath by investigators for Attorney General Letitia James.
Lawyers for the family and company have repeatedly but unsuccessfully tried to block a subpoena for their testimony from James, as well as other demands for information from the company.
A stipulation filed in Manhattan Supreme Court on Wednesday gives the Trumps until Monday to ask the state’s highest court, the Court of Appeals, to stay the order for the testimony.
If there is no stay, each of the Trumps will be questioned separately starting July 15, and conclude those depositions by the following week. That testimony will not be conducted in public.
James is investigating the Trump Organization for possibly illegal manipulation of the stated valuations of various real estate assets owned by that company. The attorney general specifically is looking into whether the company gave different valuations for an asset to obtain more favorable conditions on loans and insurance, as well as for tax benefits.
Donald Trump Jr. currently operates the Trump Organization with his brother Eric Trump, who previously answered questions under oath by James’ investigators.
Ivanka Trump, who served as senior White House advisor during her father’s presidency, is a former top executive in the Trump Organization.
The Trumps have been fighting for months to avoid having to testify in the probe, which the ex-president has repeatedly called a witch hunt.
Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron, after a contentious hearing on Feb. 1st, said Trump and his children must comply with James’ subpoenas compelling their testimony.
Engoron, in a written order, noted that James’ investigation had uncovered “copious evidence of possible financial fraud” at the Trump Organization.
“She has the clear right” to ask questions of the principals of that company, he added.
Lawyers for the family and the company appealed Engoron’s order in late February.
On May 26, that appeal was denied in a unanimous ruling by the Appellate Division of the First Judicial Department of Manhattan Supreme Court.
