Donald Trump and members of his family committed a long-running bank, tax and insurance fraud that was “astounding” in its scope, New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged in a blockbuster and long-awaited lawsuit on Wednesday.
And while the suit is only civil, James is referring the former president and his family to the IRS’s criminal division, and to federal prosecutors in Manhattan, for possible violations of tax law.
The suit, which runs to more than 200 pages, alleges that the former president systematically inflated his net worth for purposes of getting better loan terms, while at the same time deflating his worth and the value of his holdings to get more favorable tax treatment. Trump’s children Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric are also named as defendants.
“The examples I laid out just barely scratch the surface of the misconduct that we have uncovered,” James told a news conference to announce the suit, after running through a litany of claims against the former president. “The pattern of fraud and deception that was used by Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization for their own financial benefit is astounding.”