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U.S. NEWS Friday 27 May 2022
Trump loses appeal, must testify in New York civil probe

By MICHAEL R. SISAK people testifying before a
Associated Press criminal grand jury.
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Judith Vale, arguing on
President Donald Trump behalf of James' office,
must answer questions un- countered there was am-
der oath in the New York ple evidence from the civil
attorney general's civil in- investigation to support
vestigation into his business subpoenas for the Trumps'
practices, a state appeals testimony.
court ruled Thursday, re- She also cited legal prec-
jecting his argument that edent allowing the attor-
he be excused from testi- ney general's office to do
fying because his answers so, and said the Trumps
could be used in a parallel could always invoke their
criminal probe. Fifth Amendment right
A four-judge panel in the against self-incrimination
appellate division of the — as Trump's son Eric did
state's trial court upheld hundreds of times in a 2020
Judge Arthur Engoron's deposition.
Feb. 17 ruling, which en- Appellate Court Judge Ro-
forced subpoenas requir- lando T. Acosta appeared
ing that Trump and his two to agree with that position,
eldest children — Ivanka foreshadowing Thursday's
and Donald Jr. — give de- Former President Donald Trump speaks from the podium during a campaign rally, on May 1, 2022, ruling as he questioned
position testimony in Attor- in Greenwood, Neb. Futerfas from the bench.
ney General Letitia James' Associated Press Anything Trump says in a
probe. civil deposition in James' in-
"The existence of a criminal A message seeking com- dence Trump's company, motivated "witch hunt." vestigation could be used
investigation does not pre- ment was left with lawyers the Trump Organization, In appealing Engoron's sub- against him in the criminal
clude civil discovery of re- for the Trumps. used "fraudulent or mis- poena ruling, his lawyers ar- probe being overseen by
lated facts, at which a party James lauded the ruling, leading" valuations of as- gued that James, a Demo- Manhattan District Attor-
may exercise the privilege which came just two weeks sets like golf courses and crat, was engaging in "se- ney Alvin Bragg.
against self-incrimination," after the appellate panel skyscrapers to get loans lective prosecution." The Last summer, spurred by
the appellate panel wrote, heard oral arguments in and tax benefits. Ivanka appellate panel rejected evidence uncovered by
citing the Fifth Amendment the case. She tweeted that and Donald Trump Jr. have that, saying the investiga- James' office, the DA's of-
to the U.S. Constitution and her investigation "will con- both been executives in tion was on solid legal foot- fice charged the Trump Or-
other legal protections for tinue undeterred because the Trump Organization ing and that the Trumps ganization and its longtime
witnesses. no one is above the law." and are among their fa- showed no evidence they finance chief, Allen Weis-
Lawyers for the Trumps "Once again, the courts ther's most trusted allies. or their company were selberg, with tax fraud, al-
agreed in March that they have ruled that Donald The appellate panel, in its "treated differently" than leging he collected more
would sit for depositions Trump must comply with our ruling, described the in- other companies under than $1.7 million in off-the-
within 14 days of an ap- lawful investigation into his vestigation as focusing on similar scrutiny. books compensation. Weis-
pellate panel decision up- financial dealings," James whether the Trumps "com- A lawyer for the Trumps, selberg and the company
holding Engoron's ruling. said in a written statement. mitted persistent fraud in Alan Futerfas, told the ap- have pleaded not guilty.
They could also appeal the "We will continue to follow their financial practices pellate panel in oral ar- Thursday's appellate court
decision to the state's high- the facts of this case and and disclosures." guments on May 11 that ruling was the latest in a
est court, the Court of Ap- ensure that no one can Trump, a Republican, de- James appeared to be us- flurry of legal activity involv-
peals, delaying the matter evade the law." nies the allegations and ing civil subpoenas to get ing Trump and the attorney
and the Trumps' potential James has said her investi- has said James' investiga- around a New York law general's investigation in
testimony indefinitely. gation has uncovered evi- tion in part of a politically that requires immunity for the last few weeks.q

Justices won't block Biden policy on 'social cost of carbon'

WASHINGTON (AP) — The greenhouse gas emissions to use an interim standard
Supreme Court on Thurs- when creating rules for pol- of $51 in damages per ton
day allowed the Biden ad- luting industries. of carbon dioxide emitted
ministration to use a higher The approach uses the while it works to update
estimate, challenged by "social cost of carbon" to and possibly increase the
Republican-led states, for calculate future climate cost per ton. The $51 figure
calculating damages to damages to justify tougher was used by the Obama
people and the environ- restrictions for fossil fuels, administration before the
ment from greenhouse gas transportation and other in- Trump administration cut it
emissions. dustries. to $7.
The justices did not com- The federal appeals court By itself, the estimate does
ment in refusing to put in New Orleans put the or- not impose any new re-
back in place an order der on hold and Louisiana quirements, but it could
from a federal judge in led nine states in asking be used to justify tougher
Louisiana that had blocked the high court to in to inter- rules. The states would be
the administration from vene. free to challenge any new U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he boards Air Force One at
putting greater emphasis The justices' refusal to do so regulations.q Yokota Air Base in Fussa, Japan, Tuesday, May 24, 2022.
on potential damage from allows the administration Associated Press