Manhattan judge keeps costly contempt-fine threat dangling over Donald Trump's head in NY probe.
Business InsiderNov 28, 2022
The Facts
Lawyers for former Pres. Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr., and daughter Ivanka have agreed to testify on Jul. 15 in NY AG Letitia James' civil fraud investigation of the Trump Organization.
An appeals court can still order a stay, delaying depositions. Last month, however, NY's Appellate Division, First Judicial Dept., upheld a lower court's ruling that the Trumps weren't shielded from subpoenas by the existence of a parallel criminal investigation.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
This investigation was already hot on the trail of the Trump Organization's misdeeds, hearing from many witnesses and accumulating thousands of documents, while every attempt by the former president to hinder or end the investigation has been thwarted. An agreement to testify means there's nowhere left for the Trumps to hide.
Pro-Trump narrative
James is doing everything in her power to interfere with Trump's business dealings and harm his reputation. There is no case here - she is simply attacking Trump to further her political career.
