Former President Donald Trump appealed the decision of the New York Supreme Court, which ordered him to attend to the New York Attorney General’s summons to testify as part of the investigation into fraud in his companies .
The former president’s lawyers filed the appeal on the decision of Judge Arthur Engoron, who on February 17 ordered the former president and Ivanka and Donald Jr. attends the subpoena of Attorney General Letitia James’s team.
Although at that time the judge accepted the motion of prosecutor James, he also remarked that the Trumps could adhere to the Fifth Amendment at the time of declaring, if that could incriminate them in a crime, because the civil investigation could lead to a criminal proceeding.
“When they are deposed, they will have the right to refuse to answer any question that they believe could incriminate them, and that refusal may not be discussed or used against them in criminal proceedings,” Engoron’s decision reads.
The investigation was initiated in 2019, after statements by Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer, about the financial dealings of the Trump Organization.
The investigation focuses on changes in the value of several properties, so that the former president’s company could obtain tax, insurance and credit benefits.
“Today justice prevailed”, prosecutor James celebrated two weeks ago. “The court ordered Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr. and Ivanka Trump to comply with our legal investigation into the financial dealings of Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization. No one will be allowed to stand in the way of the pursuit of justice, no matter how powerful they are. No one is above the law“.