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Trump arrives to testify in business probe

Karen Freifeld and Kanishka SinghReuters
Former US president Donald Trump is testifying at a probe into the Trump Organization. (AP PHOTO)
Camera IconFormer US president Donald Trump is testifying at a probe into the Trump Organization. (AP PHOTO) Credit: AP

Former US president Donald Trump has arrived at the New York attorney general's office, where he is scheduled to testify as part of a civil investigation into his family's business practices.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James is looking into whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values.

Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Trump Jr and Ivanka Trump, fought to avoid testifying but lost.

Trump raised his fist as he left Trump Tower on Wednesday morning, wearing a blue suit with a flag pin on his lapel.

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Late on Tuesday, Trump said in a posting on his app Truth Social that he would see the New York attorney general on Wednesday.

A source also told Reuters that Trump is scheduled to testify in the probe on Wednesday. Trump's children already have been questioned, the source said.

The deposition will not be public.

A spokeswoman for James has declined to comment. A lawyer for Trump did not respond to requests for comment.

James has said her investigation uncovered significant evidence that the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses and other real estate, overstated asset values to obtain favourable loans and understated the values to get tax breaks.

Trump has denied wrongdoing and called the New York investigation politically motivated. James is a Democrat.

"In New York City tonight. Seeing racist N.Y.S. Attorney General tomorrow, for a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in U.S. history! My great company, and myself, are being attacked from all sides. Banana Republic!" Trump said in a post on Truth Social late on Tuesday.

It is unclear how much Trump will say during the deposition. He may decline to answer questions on the grounds that he might incriminate himself, according to a person familiar with the matter.

But the testimony could help determine where the probe goes. No case has been filed.

Separately, the FBI searched Trump's Florida estate on Monday, an escalation of the federal investigation into whether he illegally removed records from the White House as he was leaving office in January 2021.

Trump has been flirting publicly with the question of running again for president in 2024 but has not said clearly whether he will do so.

The warrant to search Trump's Florida estate relates to the National Archives and Records Administration, which is charged with safeguarding presidential records that belong to the public.

There are concerns there were classified documents at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, according to a person familiar with the matter.

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