- Officials are investigating if Donald Trump manipulated the value of his assets for loan and tax benefits.
- The Manhattan DA’s office subpoenaed a property tax agency as part of the criminal investigation.
- It is just one of many legal challenges facing Trump since he left office last month.
- Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office subpoenaed a property tax agency as part of a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s business dealings, Reuters reported on Friday.
The New York City Tax Commission confirmed that they received the subpoena, which could likely result in detailed income and expense statements from the Trump Organization being turned over to the DA’s office.
District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. has been conducting an ongoing investigation into Trump’s company over whether it has been inflating his property values to reduce taxes.
Last year, The New York Times reported that Trump had valued properties at significantly different amounts at different times.
For instance, his Seven Springs estate, located north of New York City, was purchased in 1995 for $7.5 million. When trying to get a loan in 2014, Trump’s company valued it at $291 million. On an ethics disclosure form in 2019, it was listed at $50 million.
Manhattan prosecutors previously subpoenaed Deutsche Bank, Trump's primary lender for decades, seeking documents that could point to potential fraud.
They also interviewed Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, on Thursday as part of the investigation, Reuters reported.
A separate investigation is also being conducted by a New York state official, Attorney General Letitia James. James is also examining Trump's company, as well as his personal finances, as part of an ongoing civil investigation into whether the former president manipulated the value of his assets for loan and tax purposes.
While there is overlap in what the two investigations are looking at, they are being conducted independently.
They are also just a fraction of the legal woes facing Trump now that he has left office, Insider's Dave Levinthal has reported.