Donald Trump

Subpoenas Issued to Donald Trump Jr., Ivanka Trump in New York Attorney General Probe of Ex-President's Company

Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images
  • The New York attorney general's office issued subpoenas to Donald Trump Jr. and his sister Ivanka Trump for a civil investigation of the company owned by former President Donald Trump.
  • The elder Trump last month sued New York Attorney General Letitia James in federal court in Albany, New York, seeking to block her investigation.
  • The probe is focused on allegations that the Trump Organization misstated the value of various properties for financial benefits.
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (C) gives two thumbs up as Donald Trump Jr. (L) and Ivanka Trump (R) stand and cheer for Eric Trump as he delivers his speech during the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 20, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
Joe Raedle | Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump (C) gives two thumbs up as Donald Trump Jr. (L) and Ivanka Trump (R) stand and cheer for Eric Trump as he delivers his speech during the third day of the Republican National Convention on July 20, 2016 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.

The New York attorney general's office issued subpoenas to Donald Trump Jr. and his sister Ivanka Trump for a civil investigation of the company owned by former President Donald Trump, a court filing revealed Monday.

The subpoenas aim to force the Trump siblings to answer questions under oath about valuations of real estate assets by Trump Organization, just as their brother Eric Trump did last year after losing a legal fight that sought to delay his interview until after the 2020 presidential election lost by their father.

The subpoenas also "would allow investigators or any matter which the Attorney General deems pertinent," the court filing in Manhattan Supreme Court says.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, whose office filed the document, already was known to be seeking to have ex-president Trump questioned under oath.

But it was not previously known that she wants to question Donald Jr., who runs the Trump Organization with Eric, and Ivanka, a former White House senior advisor during their father's administration. The New York Times first reported details of the filing.

The elder Trump last month sued James in federal court in Albany, New York, seeking to block her investigation, which is focused on allegations that the Trump Organization misstated the value of various properties for financial benefits. Trump's suit argues, among other things, that James' investigation is tainted by political bias. The attorney general is a Democrat and Trump is a Republican.

Donald Trump, Donald Jr. and Ivanka are disputing the subpoenas, according to Monday's court filing by James's office.

The filing lays out a schedule to lawyers for all three Trumps to file motions that would seek to quash the subpoena or otherwise modify them, and for James' office to reply to those motions. Lawyers for the Trumps agreed to that schedule. Judge Arthur Engoron signed off on the proposed schedule. The lawyers filed the motions later Monday.

A spokesman for James said, "As her investigation into financial dealing of the Trump Organization continues, Attorney General James is seeking interviews under oath of Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump."

James herself issued a statement later Monday.

"For more than two years, members of the Trump family and the Trump Organization have continually sought to delay and impede our investigation into Donald Trump and the Trump Organization, but despite their names, they must play by the same rules as everyone else," she said. "These delay tactics will not stop us from following the facts or the law, which is why we will be asking the court to compel Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump to testify with our office under oath. Our investigation will continue undeterred."

Lawyers for the former president and Donald Jr. and Ivanka did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is conducting a criminal investigation into the same issues related to Trump Organization valuation of real estate properties as James is for her civil inquiry.

Copyright CNBC
Contact Us