The New York attorney general’s office told a court investigators had uncovered evidence that former President Trump’s company used “fraudulent or misleading” asset valuations to get loans and tax benefits, the Associated Press reports. The filing said state authorities haven’t decided whether to bring a civil lawsuit in connection with the allegations, but that investigators need to question Trump and his two eldest children as part of the probe. Attorney General Letitia James’ office said the Trump Organization had overstated the value of land donations made in New York and California on paperwork submitted to the IRS to justify several million dollars in tax deductions. The company misreported the size of Trump’s Manhattan penthouse, saying it was nearly three times its actual size — a difference in value of about $200 million.
James’ office detailed its findings in a motion seeking to force Trump, his daughter Ivanka Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr. to comply with subpoenas seeking their testimony. Investigators said they, had “developed significant additional evidence indicating that the Trump Organization used fraudulent or misleading asset valuations to obtain a host of economic benefits, including loans, insurance coverage, and tax deductions.” Trump’s legal team has sought to block the subpoenas, calling them “an unprecedented and unconstitutional maneuver.” They say James is improperly attempting to obtain testimony that could be used in the parallel criminal investigation being overseen by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.