NEW YORK (AP) – Former President Donald Trump is expected to be sworn in to answer questions about his business practices in a New York State civil investigation, the State Court of Appeals ruled Thursday.
A jury of four state court judges upheld the decision of Manhattan judge Arthur Engoron on Feb. 17 to testify against Trump and his two eldest children to Attorney General Leticia James.
Trump appealed and tried to overturn the decision. His lawyers argued that Trump’s order to testify violated their constitutional rights, since their responses could be used in a parallel criminal investigation.
“The existence of a criminal investigation does not preclude the civil disclosure of relevant facts in which a party may exercise the privilege against self-incrimination,” the jury wrote, citing the fifth amendment right against self-incrimination.
The comment seeking message was left to Trump’s lawyers and James ’office. Trump can still appeal the decision to the state’s Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals.
James, a Democrat, said his investigation found evidence that Trump’s company used the Trump Organization to evaluate assets as “fraudulent or fraudulent,” such as golf courses and skyscrapers for loans and taxes. break.
Thursday’s decision could mean Trump’s tough decision on whether to answer questions on whether his right to a fifth amendment against self-prosecution has been silenced. Everything Trump says in a civil deposition could be used in a criminal investigation against him, overseen by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
At a hearing before Engoron’s decision on Feb. 17, Trump’s lawyers said his civil deposition session was an inappropriate attempt to violate state law that prohibits prosecutors from summoning anyone to face the big jurado. criminal without safety.
The attorney general’s attorney told Engoron that it was unusual for a civil and criminal investigation to be conducted at the same time, and Engoron denied the attorneys’ request to suspend the civil investigation until the criminal proceedings were completed.
Last summer, according to evidence discovered in James ’civilian investigation, Manhattan district attorneys accused Trump and his chief financial officer, Allen Weiselberg, of tax fraud on suspicion of raising more than 1.7 million dollars in compensation. Weiselberg and company pleaded not guilty.
Source: Huffpost
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