Trumps served subpoenas as property probe digs deeper

New York’s attorney general has issued subpoenas for Donald Trump, as well as his children Ivanka and Donald Jr, as the investigation into his property empire expands. Letitia James issued the subpoenas in early December, according to court documents filed on Monday. A spokesperson from her office said investigators were “seeking interviews under oath” for all three family members. The court filings said the subpoenas were issued “in connection with an investigation into the valuation of properties owned or controlled by Donald J Trump or the Trump Organization”. James’s investigation is believed to focus on whether Donald Trump inflated the value of his properties for some purposes — such as securing a bank loan or insurance — while minimising them when it came to paying taxes. Lawyers for the Trumps filed a motion on Monday evening seeking to quash the subpoenas, arguing they can only be legally issued by a grand jury, but James said in a statement she would ask the court to compel all three to testify. “For more than two years, members of the Trump family and the Trump Organization have continually sought to delay and impede our investigation,” James said. “But despite their names, they must play by the same rules as everyone else.” The FT (£) The Guardian