Trump must testify in New York AG's probe into his company, judge rules

Former President Donald Trump must testify in New York Attorney General Letitia James' civil investigation into his business practices, a judge ruled Thursday, per The Associated Press.

The judge, Arthur Engoron, ordered Trump, as well as his two eldest children — Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. — to comply with James' December-issued subpoenas and sit for a deposition within 21 days.

Should Engoron's ruling be upheld (and it is "almost certain to be appealed," AP writes), it could "force the former president into a tough decision about whether to answer questions, or stay silent, citing his Fifth Amendment right against self incrimination."

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James' long-running civil probe into the Trump Organization centers around whether the company misled lenders by inflating the value of its assets. Meanwhile, the Manhattan district attorney's office is leading a concurrent criminal investigation.

Trump's testimony in the civil investigation could be used against him in the criminal investigation, AP notes. Another one of the ex-president's children — Eric Trump — as well as former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg have previously sat for depositions in the civil investigation, where they "invoked their Fifth Amendment rights hundreds of times."