Trump Jr. Ivanka Trump testified in tax fraud probe, sources say

134
1
Trump Jr. Ivanka Trump testified in tax fraud probe, sources say

Two people close to the investigation told NBC News that Donald Trump'sTrump's two eldest children, Donald Trump Jr.Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, were testified in New York Attorney General Letitia James'James' civil tax fraud probe.

The sources said Trump Jr., the company's executive vice president last week, and Ivanka, a former executive, testified Wednesday. Neither of them pleaded for the Fifth Amendment's protection against self-incrimination.

The sources didn't say whether their testimony took place in person or virtually.

The civil investigation was prompted by allegations that Trump and the Trump OrganizationTrump Organization inflated financial statements.

A New York appeals court denied a request by the Trump family to block subpoenas for their testimony. A panel of judges in the Appellate Division, the second-highest court in the state, sided with James' office, rejecting Trump's bid to escape a deposition in the probe.

One source said that Trump is expected to speak to investigators in the coming weeks.

James' office has said in court filings that it uncovered substantial evidence proving misrepresentations in Mr. Trump's financial statements provided to banks, insurers and the Internal Revenue Service. These statements were inflated by hundreds of millions of dollars and signed off by the former president, James alleged.

The former president has called James's probe a witch hunt, and the company has denied any wrongdoing.