The attorney general of New York, Letitia James, intends to question former President Donald Trump under oath in a fraud case, according to the newspaper The New York Times, which cites two sources familiar with the case.
The interrogation, which may lead to a complaint against Trump if James finds signs of wrongdoing, would take place on January 7, as part of a civil investigation into his business practices; and the case is not related to another investigation opened by the Manhattan prosecutor, Cyrus Vance Jr., who will leave office at the end of December.
The prosecutor’s efforts coincide with an investigation by Vance to determine whether the former president or his organization “Trump Organization” is involved in fraud activities, by sending false appraisals of their properties to potential lenders.
The offices of both prosecutors, working together, are trying to elucidate whether Trump inflated the value of his properties to ensure he obtained financing.
According to the newspaper, the ex-president’s lawyers could request before a judge that his client not appear on the grounds that his testimony could be used unfairly against him in the criminal investigation, which would violate his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.
In addition, they could also argue that Trump’s call to appear is for political purposes, as James publicly announced that he will run in the New York gubernatorial election, to be held next year.
In October, Trump already appeared in connection with a lawsuit filed by a group of protesters who claimed they were attacked by the former president’s bodyguards outside Trump Tower in New York in 2015.
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