New York [US] : Former US President Donald Trump returned to New York on Thursday where he was being questioned under oath in a fraud lawsuit by New York Attorney General Letitia James, reported The New York Times.
Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump and three of his children, calling them “staggering” fraudsters. Notably, a separate 34-count criminal charge against the former president was revealed last week. Trump, his family business, and three of his children were charged with a “staggering” fraud in James’ civil action, which was filed in September and is scheduled to go to trial later this year. James claimed that the former president’s assets were overvalued by billions of dollars, The New York Times reported.
Apparently, the lawsuit seeks USD 250 million that it contends they reaped through those deceptions, made in Trump’s annual financial statements.
However, on Thursday, Alina Habba, one of Trump’s lawyers, issued a statement strongly suggesting that he would answer questions.
“President Trump is not only willing but also eager to testify before the attorney general today. 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,” the statement said, according to The New York Times.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office unveiled the 34-count indictment against him last week, accusing him of improperly concealing a hush-money payment made to a porn star by his longtime fixer, Michael D. Cohen, during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Trump was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to the alleged payments. It’s the first time a former US president has faced criminal charges.
The civil litigation is officially unrelated to Trump’s arrest and charges filed against him in New York — but both involved Adult star Stormy Daniels, who was paid USD 130,000 in hush money during the 2016 presidential campaign to keep quiet about an affair. Trump denies the affair, reported CNN.
Daniels sued Trump in 2018 after Trump in a tweet called an allegation by Daniels that an unknown man threatened her in a parking lot to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump a “total con job.”
