END OF THE LINE: Trump exhausts final appeal in NY AG Letitia James’ civil fraud investigation
The State of NY Court of Appeals has locked the door on Trump’s last-ditch effort to avoid giving testimony. It is a final blow to Trump’s attempts to avoid being deposed in New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ civil case against him. Accused of manipulating real estate valuations of the Trump Organization for financial gain, Trump, his daughter Ivanka, and his son Don. Jr. will begin giving testimony next month.
As expected, the New York Supreme Court has decided not to intervene, and Donald Trump is now out of appeals. He will be forced to testify to NY AG Letitia James about Trump Organization fraud. Trump’s bad week just keeps getting worse for him.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) June 14, 2022
In a one-page decision, the high court ruled:
“On the court’s own motion, appeal dismissed, without costs upon the ground that no substantial constitutional question is directly involved. Motion for a stay dismissed as academic. Motion for leave to appeal denied.”
This is the third in back-to-back judicial losses for Trump that are related to James’ investigation. In the same week in May, an appeals court ruled that Trump must testify – leading up to the most recent decision – and a District Judge threw out Trump’s suit against AG James to quash subpoenas.
Trump loses an appeal and must testify in New York's civil investigation https://t.co/XccDjfv75q
— NPR Politics (@nprpolitics) May 26, 2022
For three years, the New York Attorney General’s office has been gathering what it believes to be crucial — and damning — evidence in its case against the Trump Organization. Former Trump attorney and “fixer,” Michael Cohen was a key witness against the ex-President. Cohen, in a 2019 appearance before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, referred to the then-President as a “cheat” and “con man.”
If you recall, Cohen – arrested in 2018 – served a three-year sentence for lying on behalf of his former boss and paying hush money to porn star Stormy Daniels in an attempt to keep the adult film star from going public about her affair with Trump. After his release, Cohen was vocal in his criticisms of Trump and agreed to cooperate in James’ subsequent investigation into the six-times bankrupt businessman.
Attorney General James has maintained her long-time investigation is warranted, and, despite Trump calling it a “witch hunt,” James’ office has said they’ve collected a “substantial” amount of evidence. NY Assistant Attorney General Andrew Amer commented:
“There’s clearly been a substantial amount of evidence amassed that could support the filing of an enforcement proceeding although the final determination on filing that proceeding has yet to be made.”
With the January 6th hearings continuing to reveal Trump’s duplicity in trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election, Fulton County Attorney General Fani Willis building a strong case for election interference in Georgia, recent revelations of Trump’s $250 million Election Defense Fund Grift, and prominent GOP members eagerly throwing him under the bus, the fresh smell of accountability is permeating the air.
Original reporting by Associated Press.
Follow Ty Ross on Twitter @cooltxchick
