New York Attorney General Letitia James is suing the former US president, his family and the Trump Organization. If successful, it could halt Mr. Trump’s ability to operate in the state for years — and even include impeachment for possible federal prosecution. The sentences could effectively be a “death sentence” for his organisation, Ms James said. The more than 220-page lawsuit details Trump’s alleged efforts to inflate his personal net worth to attract favorable loan deals while deflating his net worth and holdings to gain better tax benefits. It also named former President Donald Trump Jr.’s sons and Eric, and his daughter Ivanka Trump as defendants. Ms. James is asking the court to bar Trump and his children from serving as officers or directors of any New York business. The Trump Organization has denied any wrongdoing. At a press conference, Ms. James said the lawsuit alleges more than 200 instances of fraud over a 10-year period. “While the AG’s office says it is not seeking to break up the Trump Organization, the sanctions they are seeking could amount to an effective ‘death sentence’ for the Trump Organization to continue in New York,” he added. The lawsuit came the same day the Justice Department said Trump failed to provide evidence he declassified records seized from his Florida estate. Image: Mar-a-Lago The former president had sued the Justice Department following the FBI’s August search of his Mar-a-Lago home, asking that the investigation be frozen while an independent counsel was appointed to oversee it. Of the more than 11,000 documents seized by the FBI, about 100 had classified markings. Mr Trump had claimed during his time as president that he had declassified them. Image: One of the top secret documents found But Justice Department lawyers wrote in a filing late Tuesday: “Plaintiff again implies that he could have declassified the records before leaving office. “As before, however, Plaintiff conspicuously fails to state, let alone show, that he actually took this step.” The Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into Mr. Trump for maintaining government records classified as highly classified, including top secret, after he leaves office in January 2021. Trump has denied wrongdoing and said the investigation is a partisan attack.
