Former President Donald Trump faces a deposition Wednesday by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who has made pursuing Trump a focus of her office since she was elected in 2018.
The deposition comes two days after FBI agents raided Trump’s home at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, ostensibly in pursuit of presidential records — an act that outraged Republicans and caused even some Democrats to criticize the Department of Justice for its unprecedented action.
Trump’s testimony will not be in a criminal case, but rather in a civil proceeding, as New York State looks for evidence of wrongdoing in his past real estate career.
The crux of the case is that Trump is suspected of overstating the value of his assets when doing business, while understating the value of his assets when facing tax collectors — not an unusual tactic in real estate, nor necessarily an illegal or fraudulent one.
As the Associated Press put it:
The deposition could be a critical moment in the investigation of allegations that the Republican billionaire’s company, the Trump Organization, misled banks and tax authorities about the value of prized assets like golf courses and skyscrapers.
New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office said in May that it was nearing the end of its probe and that investigators have amassed substantial evidence that could support legal action against Trump, his company or both.
The depositions have taken place for years, amid denials by Trump that there is any case against him.
CNN reported Wednesday morning: “Trump said in a post on Truth Social early Wednesday morning that he would be ‘seeing’ James ‘for a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. history! My great company, and myself, are being attacked from all sides. Banana Republic!’
CNN suggested that the deposition would be taken by attorneys working for James, not James herself.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. His recent book, RED NOVEMBER, tells the story of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary from a conservative perspective. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.