Court orders Eric Trump to testify before New York attorney general ahead of election
Washington — A judge in New York has ordered Eric Trump to sit for an interview under oath as part of Attorney General Letitia James' probe into the Trump Organization before October 7, rejecting Trump's request to delay his testimony until after the election.
Justice Arthur Engoron of the New York County State Supreme Court also ruled that the Trump Organization must turn over documents requested by the Office of the Attorney General.
"Justice and the rule of law prevailed today," James said in a statement. "We will immediately move to ensure that Donald Trump and the Trump Organization comply with the court's order and submit financial records related to our investigation. Further, Eric Trump will no longer be able to delay his interview and will be sitting down with investigators in my office no later than October 7."
Trump's attorneys said last week that he was willing to be interviewed after the presidential election, but Engoron found that the election has "no bearing on the timetable of the investigation at hand," James' office said.
Trump said in a statement that he has agreed to be interviewed by James' office.
"The New York Attorney General has called my father an 'illegitimate' president and pledged to take him down while she was running for office. Her actions since demonstrate a continued political vendetta and attempt to interfere with the upcoming election. That said, since I previously agreed to appear for an interview, I will do so as scheduled," Mr. Trump said.
James is investigating whether President Trump and the Trump Organization committed fraud by selectively altering the value of Mr. Trump's assets. She filed the motion in August to obtain documents from the Trump Organization and compel Eric Trump to testify.
James initiated the investigation after former Trump attorney Michael Cohen told Congress in 2019 that the president had inflated his net worth when applying for loans, and understated the value of his assets for tax purposes. The president's son serves as the executive vice president of the Trump Organization and was "intimately involved in one or more transactions under review," according to James.
A spokesperson for the Trump Organization told CBS News in August that the organization "has done nothing wrong."
The Manhattan district attorney's office has also opened an investigation and is considering pursuing criminal charges against the Trump Organization, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News in August.
Pat Milton contributed to this report.