The New York Times reports that New York Attorney General Leticia James has filed a $250 million civil lawsuit against Donald Trump, his children and the Trump Organization for manipulation of corporate financial statements to avoid tax payments and improve loan applications.
The 220-page lawsuit, filed in New York State Supreme Court, outlines that Trump’s released financial statements were, per the Times, “a compendium of lies.” James outlines charges of insurance fraud, and notes that there are bank fraud and financial fraud charges that she has referred to federal officials.
James seeks to permanently bar Mr. Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump from serving on the board of any corporate institution in New York. She also seeks to ban Trump and the Trump Organization from pursuing real estate transactions in New York State for five years.
James noted that Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to answer when asked if he reviewed Trump Organization financial statements while he was President of the United States. Trump has vowed after the 2016 election that he would not be involved in any way in the management of his company, as that would present a conflict of interest to his duties as president.
James says the Trumps filed 200 false and misleading financial evaluations over a ten-year period.
The Trump Organization issued a statement saying, “As we all know, today’s filing has nothing to do with the facts or the law. Instead, it is about politics, pure and simple.”