Trump back in New York for questioning in state civil fraud case
Send a link to a friend
[April 13, 2023]
By Karen Freifeld
(Reuters) -Former President Donald Trump arrived in New York to be
questioned Thursday in a $250 million civil fraud lawsuit against him by
the state's attorney general, he said in a series of overnight social
media posts that also lashed out against the case.
But the deposition will take place behind closed doors and is unlikely
to draw the kind of attention that his surrender on separate criminal
charges did last week.
Trump, who is seeking the Republican nomination for the 2024
presidential election, is expected to head to New York Attorney General
Letitia James' offices in lower Manhattan, where he will be asked about
his business practices. The lawsuit accuses him and others of a
decade-long scheme to manipulate property values and his net worth in
order to obtain favorable loans and tax benefits.
The trial in the case is scheduled to begin Oct. 2. Thursday's
deposition could be used to try to discredit any testimony Trump may
give at trial, or be offered as testimony if he is unavailable to
appear.
It is not the first time Trump is facing the New York attorney general.
Under questioning in August, before the case was filed, Trump invoked
his right against self-incrimination under the U.S. Constitution's Fifth
Amendment more than 400 times. Legal experts say the attorney general is
also entitled to a deposition after the filing of the lawsuit.
"I will finally be able to show what a great, profitable, and valuable
company I built," Trump said in one post on the Truth Social platform
early Thursday, after attacking the attorney general and what he called
her "persecution," as well as the judge in the case and the district
attorney who brought the separate criminal charges.Trump, whose
surrender on April 4 drew worldwide media attention and a huge police
presence, returned to his home in Florida after the arraignment.The
arraignment was over allegations that he orchestrated a hush-money
payment to a porn star before the 2016 election in exchange for her
silence over an alleged sexual encounter.
[to top of second column]
|
![](../images/041323PIX/news_m99.jpg)
Former U.S. President Donald Trump
arrives at Trump Tower, after his indictment by a Manhattan grand
jury following a probe into hush money paid to porn star Stormy
Daniels, in New York City, U.S April 3, 2023. REUTERS/David Dee
Delgado/File Photo
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Apr/13/images/ads/current/graue_lda_preowned_Buickencore_011323.jpg)
Trump pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has said the sexual
encounter did not take place. It marked the first time a U.S.
president has been criminally charged while in office or after.
Trump also faces federal investigations stemming from his handling
of government documents after leaving the White House and alleged
attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat as well as a
state-level probe in Georgia into whether he unlawfully sought to
reverse the 2020 election results there.
In addition, a trial is set for April 25 in federal court in New
York over whether Trump defamed former Elle magazine columnist E.
Jean Carroll by denying he raped her. Trump is seeking to delay that
trial.
(Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Leslie
Adler, William Maclean)
[© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Apr/13/images/ads/current/castlemanor_sda_FINANCIAL_2017.png) |