New York Attorney General Letitia James won a major victory in her office’s ongoing civil investigation into Donald J. Trump’s financial dealings as the Mazars USA accounting firm said it would no longer work for the Trump Organization.
After hearing arguments in the case, New York County State Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron ruled that Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump must all appear for sworn testimony, and the disgraced former president must produce additional documents in compliance with subpoenas from the Office of the Attorney General.
The judge ordered Trump, and his two children with responsibilities in the business to appear for testimony within 21 days, and instructed the Trump Organization’s financial dealings. to produce additional documentation within 14 days.
“Today, justice prevailed,” said James. “Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump have been ordered by the court to comply with our lawful investigation into Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization’s financial dealings. No one will be permitted to stand in the way of the pursuit of justice, no matter how powerful they are. No one is above the law.”
A court filing in that case also showed the accounting firm that handled the Trump Organization’s financial statements dropped it as a client and said a decade of statements are so unreliable that it could no longer stand behind them.
Mazars USA, in a Feb. 9 letter, informed the Trump Organization, the former president’s New York-based real estate business, that its financial statements for 2011 through 2020 should no longer be relied on.
Mazars said it had based its conclusion on a January filing by the New York attorney general, its own investigation and information from internal and external sources.
James took on the powerful gun lobby, alleging that years of corruption by National Rifle Association executives undermined its ability to operate as a nonprofit.
On August 3, 2021, James’ office released a report finding that New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo engaged in multiple acts of sexual harassment.
James has filed civil lawsuits against the Trump Organization and worked “side-by-side with prosecutors from the Manhattan D.A.’s office,” which is preparing criminal cases against the former president
The New York State Attorney General has also led pathbreaking lawsuits against Facebook and Google, and the office has also brought a key lawsuit against Amazon, claiming that the company did not do enough to protect its warehouse workers during the pandemic and unlawfully fired or disciplined two employees who spoke out about safety issues.