UNITED STATES—On Wednesday, September 23, a New York state judge ordered Eric Trump, son of President Donald Trump, to testify under oath by October 7 in a fraud investigation into the Trump real estate business.
The deposition is part of an ongoing investigation by Attorney General Letitia James into whether President Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud by overstating assets to acquire loans and tax benefits.
Last week, Eric Trump’s lawyers said he was willing to be interviewed, but only after the 2020 Presidential Election, saying that he wanted to “to avoid the use of his deposition attendance for political purposes.”
Judge Arthur F. Engoron of the State Supreme Court in Manhattan rejected the offer.
“This court finds that application unpersuasive. Mr. Trump cites no authority in support of his request, and in any event, neither petitioner, nor this court, is bound by timelines of the national election,” said Judge Engoron.
Judge Engoron also ordered the Trump Organization and several related entities and lawyers to turn over records that relate to four of the properties being investigated.
In a statement through a spokeswoman, Eric Trump called the investigation “a continued political vendetta and attempt to interfere with the upcoming election.”
“The New York Attorney General has called my father an ‘illegitimate’ president and pledged to take him down while she was running for office. That said, since I previously agreed to appear for an interview, I will do so as scheduled,” the statement added.
