Trump Ordered To Testify Under Oath In NY Attorney General Probe

NEW YORK CITY — Former President Donald Trump must testify under oath in a probe into his business dealings, a panel of state appeals judges ordered.

The appellate judges' order, issued Thursday, shot down Trump's appeal over another court's ruling that he and his children Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump must comply with subpoenas issued by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

James is engaged in a high-stakes investigation into the Trump family's business dealings.

“Once again, the courts have ruled that Donald Trump must comply with our lawful investigation into his financial dealings,” she said in a statement. “We will continue to follow the facts of this case and ensure that no one can evade the law.”

Trump has argued, inside and outside court, that James' probe is a partisan witch hunt.

James, for her part, has cast her investigation as a legitimate look into potentially shady dealings by the Trumps. She has said her investigation uncovered evidence the Trump Organization used “fraudulent or misleading” valuations of assets such as golf courses and skyscrapers to get loans and tax benefits.

And judges have agreed with the legitimacy of James's investigation.

One judge found Trump in contempt and fined him $10,000 a day after he failed to comply with James' subpoenas.

Trump's appeal on testifying under oath hinged on the argument that ordering him and his eldest children to testify violated their constitutional rights because their answers could be used in a parallel criminal investigation.

The argument didn't hold water with the appeals judges.

“The existence of a criminal investigation does not preclude civil discovery of related facts, at which a party may exercise the privilege against self-incrimination,” they wrote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.