Former US President Donald Trump on Wednesday agreed to testify in the New York State Attorney General’s investigation into his family’s business practices amid a flurry of legal challenges for him.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James is conducting a civil investigation into whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values. Trump and his two adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, agreed to testify.
Trump denied wrongdoing and called the New York investigation politically motivated. Attorney James belongs to the Democratic Party.
“Tonight in New York. Tomorrow I’m meeting with the Attorney General of New York, who is a racist,” a post on his Truth Social platform said late Tuesday.”
James said her investigation uncovered important evidence that the Trump organization, which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate, overpriced assets to get soft loans and undervalued to get tax breaks.
Separately this week, the FBI raided Trump’s Florida home, marking a major escalation in a federal investigation into whether the former president illegally handed over documents from the White House when leaving office in January 2021.
Trump has publicly hinted that he will run for president again in 2024, but has not made it clear whether he will.
Several investigations have focused on Trump since he left office, weeks after his supporters stormed the Capitol (Congress) on January 6, 2021 in a failed attempt to fix his electoral defeat. Trump continues to claim that the election was stolen due to massive voter fraud.
Trump remains the most powerful voice in the Republican Party, and observers say an FBI probe could bolster his credibility with Republican voters.
