New York's Attorney General Is Coming for Trump

By Sophie Weiner, Splinter

12 March 19

 

ast night, the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James issued subpoenas to Deutsche Bank and Investors Bank regarding to their financing of Trump projects, according to the New York Times. These projects include Donald Trump’s failed attempt to purchase the Buffalo Bills, and four Trump Organization projects.

Deutsche Bank is also currently the subject of two congressional investigations into Trump’s business dealings.

James’ new investigation was prompted by Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen testimony to Congress last month, according to the Times’ source. Cohen told Congress that Trump had lied to both the IRS and banks, including inflating his assets in documents he gave to Deutsche Bank in order to secure financing.

The New York investigation is civil, not criminal. But it’s not clear just how far James, who has broad authority, could go in pursuing Trump.

From the Times:

The request to Deutsche Bank sought loan applications, mortgages, lines of credit and other financing transactions in connection with the Trump International Hotel in Washington; the Trump National Doral outside Miami; and the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, the person said. [...]

Mr. Trump worked with a small United States-based unit of Deutsche Bank that serves ultra-wealthy people. The unit lent Mr. Trump more than $100 million in 2012 to pay for the Doral golf resort and $170 million in 2015 to transform the Old Post Office Building in Washington into a luxury hotel.

New Jersey-based Investors Bank was subpoenaed for records relating to Trump Park Avenue, a project it had backed.

James has threatened investigations of Trump and his businesses since her election campaign.

“I will be shining a bright light into every dark corner of his real estate dealings, and every dealing, demanding truthfulness at every turn,” she said at her election night party last November.

Last week, Congress announced their own investigation of Trump, sending letters to 80 people and organizations requesting documents related to his businesses and affairs.

“Over the last several years, President Trump has evaded accountability for his near-daily attacks on our basic legal, ethical, and constitutional rules and norms,” Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is leading the investigation, said in a statement. “Investigating these threats to the rule of law is an obligation of Congress and a core function of the House Judiciary Committee. We have seen the damage done to our democratic institutions in the two years that the Congress refused to conduct responsible oversight.”