Topline
A New York Supreme Court judge on Monday ordered the Trump Organization to turn over documents to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office by next month, as prosecutors move forward with a civil investigation into potential fraud.
Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on … [+]
Key Facts
The ruling from Judge Arthur Engoron said the Trump Organization must provide a substantial amount of documents to the AG by April 15 and fully comply with the subpoena by April 29.
The AG’s office is seeking electronic records from the Trump Organization as part of a probe into whether the company fraudulently misvalued properties.
Engoron ordered a Republican-tied outside firm the Trump Organization hired to identify and turn over records, HaystackID, to provide weekly updates going forward on its progress, as it’s unclear at this point how close the Trump Organization has come to complying with the subpoena.
The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Forbes, but its attorney Larry Rosen said in court Monday the company has given “900,000 documents, 6 million pages” to the AG’s office, according to the New York Daily News.
Crucial Quote
“One thing all of us can agree on is we want this to end at some point—for numerous reasons,” Engoron said in court, according to multiple reports.
Key Background
James’ probe has been ongoing for years, and was sparked when then-President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, told Congress in 2019 that Trump and his business empire lied about the value of assets for financial benefit. Trump has faced allegations of overvaluing assets to secure loans while undervaluing them to cut down on tax bills, leading to similar investigations in Westchester County and Manhattan. James’ investigation is a civil probe and could result in a lawsuit against Trump, his children and his company. The former president and his associates have continually fought the investigation, which Trump has claimed is politically motivated. It was reported earlier this month that Trump struck a deal with James’ office allowing him to avoid appearing for a deposition.
Tangent
Trump filed a lawsuit against James in December in an attempt to stymie the investigation.
Further Reading
Trump Org lawyer laments N.Y. AG probe has ‘tentacles everywhere’ as judge tightens deadlines (New York Daily News)
Trump’s Golf Club Now Faces Criminal Investigation—As Legal Troubles Mount For Former President (Forbes)
Trump Sues New York AG Letitia James Over Business Investigation (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2022/03/28/judge-rules-trump-organization-must-comply-with-subpoena-by-next-month/