By Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) – Former U.S. President Donald Trump said he would testify on Wednesday at a New York investigation by the state attorney general into his family’s business practices, with the possible testimony coming amid a series of of legal problems for him.
New York State Attorney General Letitia James is conducting a civil investigation to examine whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values. Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, have agreed to testify.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the New York investigation politically motivated. James is a Democrat.
“In New York City tonight. I’ll be seeing the racist New York State Attorney General tomorrow, for a continuation of the biggest witch hunt in US history! My great company and I are under attack everywhere. Banana Republic!” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform late Tuesday.
James has said his investigation uncovered significant evidence that the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses and other real estate, overstated asset values to obtain favorable loans and understated values to obtain tax breaks.
Separately, this week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) searched Trump’s assets in Florida, marking a significant escalation of the federal investigation into whether the former president illegally expunged White House records. when he left office in January 2021.
Trump has been publicly flirting with the question of running for president again in 2024, but has not said clearly whether he will do so.
The search warrant for Trump’s assets in Florida was related to the National Archives and Records Administration, which is charged with safeguarding presidential records that belong to the public, and whether there were any classified documents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. in Palm Beach. Florida, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Several investigations have focused on Trump since he left office, weeks after his supporters stormed the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, in a failed attempt to overturn his election loss. Trump continues to falsely claim that the election was stolen through widespread voter fraud.
Trump remains the most influential voice in the Republican Party, and observers said the FBI’s search could bolster his standing with Republican voters.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Robert Birsel)