Latest legal blow to Donald Trump: US judge orders him to testify in fraud probe

In a civil probe into alleged fraud at Donald Trump's family business, a US judge ruled Thursday that the former president and his eldest children must give testimony under oath.

The ruling is only the latest in a string of legal setbacks for the 75-year-old who is battling multiple cases that are likely to complicate his bid for another term in office in 2024.

Letitia James, the New York Attorney General, recently said that she found "significant evidence" of fraudulent or misleading practices at the Trump Organization.

In January, she announced that her civil investigation had revealed that the Trump Organization fraudulently overvalued multiple assets to secure loans and then undervalued them to minimize taxes.

The Trumps have repeatedly tried to shut down the investigation.

Following more than two hours of oral arguments, state judge Arthur Engoron rejected a plea by Trump, Donald Jr and Ivanka to quash subpoenas issued by James in December.

The trio was ordered to sit for depositions with James' office within 21 days. It is likely that the Trumps will appeal this order.

Lawyers for the Trumps argued that the subpoenas in the civil case were an attempt by James to obtain evidence in connection with her involvement in a parallel criminal investigation into the Trump Organization.

James, they said, was circumventing a New York law that grants immunity to witnesses who appear before grand juries in criminal cases.

Engoron said their argument misses the mark, noting that neither the Manhattan district attorney, which is running the criminal investigation, nor James's office have ordered the Trump family to appear before a grand jury.

As part of his ruling, Engoron added that the Trumps may invoke their Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate themselves when questioned during the civil case.

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He noted, that during a deposition for James's investigation in October 2020, Trump's son Eric "more than 500 times" pleaded the fifth.

Engoron also rejected Trump's claim that James' inquiry is political in nature.

Following the ruling, Trump's lawyer blasted the investigation as "yet another politically motivated witch hunt," echoing one of the ex-president's favourite refrains.

"The court clearly had its mind made up and had no interest in engaging in impartial discourse on this critically important issue," attorney Alina Habba said in a statement.