What to know about NY Attorney General Letitia James’ deposition of Trump

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Former President Donald Trump returned to New York City for another legal battle before him. It comes just a week after he was arraigned on 34 felony charges by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in a separate case.

On Thursday, Trump faced a second deposition by New York Attorney General Letitia James in a civil fraud case brought against him and his business, The Trump Organization. The 2024 Republican presidential candidate is accused of inflating the value of his assets in an attempt to defraud bank lenders and insurers. 

Trump’s civil lawsuit explained

In September 2022, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against The Trump Organization, Trump, and three of his adult children: Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump. James accused the Trump family business of falsely inflating his net worth by billions of dollars.

According to a press release from the attorney general’s office, the lawsuit alleges that Trump used the inflated value of his net worth to obtain more favorable terms with banks “than would otherwise have been available to the company.”

James’ civil lawsuit accuses Trump and his business of violating state law, including falsification of business records and engaging in insurance fraud. New York’s top prosecutor also suggested that Trump potentially violated federal criminal law, such as issuing false statements to financial institutions and bank fraud.

James is seeking a court order for the permanent barring of the Trump family from doing business in New York and that Trump pays at least $250 million in damages, among other penalties. A trial for the case is scheduled for Oct. 2.

Trump has consistently called the lawsuit a “witch hunt” and has personally attacked Attorney General James, including calling her “racist.”

In his first deposition conducted by the Office of the New York Attorney General in August 2022, Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and notably said “same answer” repeatedly when asked questions about his business activities.

In this latest deposition, The New York Times reports it is likely Trump will choose to instead provide more concrete answers. 

In a statement, Trump’s lawyer Alina Habba said, “President Trump is not only willing but also eager to testify before the attorney general today.” 

She continued: “He remains resolute in his stance that he has nothing to conceal, and he looks forward to educating the attorney general about the immense success of his multibillion-dollar company.”

Who is Letitia James?

Letitia James has served as New York’s attorney general since 2019. She is the first African-American and first woman elected as the state’s top prosecutor.

Since taking office, James has taken on the National Rifle Association (NRA) in an ongoing case, accusing the gun rights organization of corruption and financial misconduct. The attorney general also launched an investigation of then-Governor Andrew Cuomo and his administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The probe accused the state Department of Health of neglecting nursing home residents and undercounting the number of deaths by up to 50%. 

Months later, Attorney General James released a report finding that Gov. Cuomo engaged in multiple acts of sexual harassment, later resulting in his resignation. 

James, 64, announced a run for governor for the Democratic primary election in 2021; however, she eventually pulled out of the race to potentially become the nation’s first Black female governor. Instead, she ran for reelection as attorney general. 

During a previous interview with theGrio, James said she ended her campaign for governor so that she could finish the job as attorney general – including her lawsuit against former President Trump.

“I followed my heart and I honored my commitment and the oath that I made that I swore to the people of the great state of New York that I would complete my work,” the Brooklyn native told theGrio.

The attorney general said of Trump and his accusations of being the target of a “witch hunt”: “He will not evade us. He will not stop us from investigating to ensure that individuals – no matter what title they hold – are following the law.

“I am confident that we will win,” she added. “No one is above the law.”

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