Eric Trump must participate in an investigation into potential fraud at the Trump Organization prior to the November election, a judge ruled Wednesday.
The president’s son, who is executive vice president in charge of running the family business, will have to answer questions under oath from the office of New York State Attorney General Letita James, the New York Times reported.
James is conducting a civil investigation into whether the Trump Organization overstated the value of its assets in order to obtain loans and tax benefits.
At the center of the probe are four properties: the mixed-use building 40 Wall Street in Manhattan, Seven Springs Estate in Westchester County, N.Y., the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago and the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles.
Trump’s lawyers said last week that he would be willing to be interviewed, but only after the presidential election so that his deposition would not be used for “political purposes.”
On Wednesday, state Judge Arthur F. Engoron in Manhattan said he found Trump’s argument “unpersuasive” and ordered the president’s son to sit for a deposition no later than Oct. 7.
Trump was previously scheduled to meet with the attorney general’s office, but abruptly canceled the meeting in July, according to the Times. In August, the Trump Organization told James’ office that it would not comply with seven subpoenas it received concerning the investigation.
Eric Trump has criticized the investigation as “the highest level of prosecutorial misconduct.” [NYT] — Rich Bockmann