New York attorney general seeks depositions from Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr.

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NEW YORK —New York Attorney General Letitia James has subpoenaed testimony from Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., two adult children of former president Donald Trump who have served as executives at his company, as part of James’s ongoing civil investigation into the Trump Organization and its business practices.

The subpoenas were disclosed Monday in an unsealed court filing that also detailed a schedule for challenges to the requests that the pair sit for depositions and provide records. Lawyers for Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. agreed to file challenges by Dec. 27, according to the timeline.

The unsealed documents do not indicate whether those challenges were submitted or what they contained. But the filing suggests that further litigation over whether the subpoenas will be enforced was anticipated.

In the court filing, the names of Donald Trump, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr. were added as defendants in a civil probe that was opened months ago, when James (D) first asked a judge to order the Trump Organization and related parties to comply with subpoenas.

Alina Habba, an attorney for the former president and the Trump Organization, responded to a request for comment Monday by issuing a statement that called James’s actions “a threat to our democracy.” She said the attorney general “has weaponized her office through this political witch hunt.”

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James’s office launched its civil investigation into the Trump Organization and its officers in March 2019 over whether financial fraud was committed through property valuation practices. Investigators from the office are still actively requesting records and other evidence.

The Washington Post reported in December that James had asked for the former president to give testimony on Jan. 7 at her agency’s New York offices, a move Trump called politically motivated. His attorney, Ronald Fischetti, said at the time that Trump had firm grounds to challenge the subpoena, alleging that James’s office was “working hand-in-hand” with the Manhattan district attorney in its long-running criminal probe into the Trump Organization.

In that probe, Trump’s longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg and the company itself have been indicted in connection to an alleged tax fraud conspiracy. Alvin Bragg (D), who was sworn in as Manhattan district attorney at the start of the new year, has taken over the criminal investigation from his predecessor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr. (D).

“This is an opportunity for them to get Donald Trump’s testimony under oath and then turn it over to the district attorney’s office,” Fischetti said last month.

The filing made public Monday shows that James has asked a New York Supreme Court civil judge to enforce subpoenas to the Trumps. It is not the first time the office has asked Justice Arthur Engoron to intercede. Engoron previously ordered Eric Trump, another son of the former president who has been heavily involved in the family business, to sit for a deposition. He also played referee when parties including the Trump Organization resisted handing over certain documents.

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According to a 2020 filing from James’s office, Eric Trump initially agreed to an interview, then canceled two days before it. He then declined to set another date, citing “rights afforded to every individual under the Constitution” to justify refusing the subpoena.

Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump all took senior roles in their father’s company early in their careers, working in adjacent offices in Trump Tower as each shepherded different projects and aspects of the business.

When Trump entered the White House, the three children took different paths, with Ivanka Trump leaving the business to join him as a senior adviser. Don Jr. and Eric remained in the private sector, with Don Jr. focused more on politics and Eric handling many aspects of the Trump Organization business.

O’Connell reported from Washington. David A. Fahrenthold contributed to this report.