Arkansas Online

N.Y. AG subpoenas former Trump assistant

MICHAEL R. SISAK

NEW YORK — The New York attorney general’s office said Monday that it subpoenaed Donald Trump’s longtime executive assistant and plans to question her under oath next week as part of its civil investigation into the former president’s business dealings.

The subpoena for Rhona Graff was disclosed by a lawyer for Attorney General Letitia James’ office in court papers opposing Trump’s latest bid to rid himself of a contempt of court order for being slow to respond to a subpoena for documents.

Graff’s deposition is scheduled for May 31, special litigation counsel Andrew Amer said in the court filing.

Amer said James’ office plans to ask Graff about a variety of issues, including Trump’s involvement in the preparation of annual financial statements.

In April 2021, Graff left Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, but was among several people involved in keeping his records who provided affidavits to Trump’s lawyers late Friday as they sought to have his contempt order lifted.

Graff, who started working for Trump in 1987, has been described as his gatekeeper and right hand. Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, wrote in his book that she had her own office with a large filing cabinet containing folders on various issues pertaining to Trump.

Amer said James’ office wants to question Graff under oath, in part because her affidavit only described the company’s retention and preservation practices for some of Trump’s records, and lacked detail about how his financial statements were handled.

“Did [Trump] ever review the statement in draft form before he signed the final version each year?” Amer wrote, listing questions left unanswered by Graff’s affidavit.

“Did he annotate any drafts with comments and/or questions?” Amer continued. “If so, what happened to those drafts? In what form was the final version of the statement presented for Mr. Trump’s approval in each year? How did he make his approval clear?

Ms. Graff’s affidavit does not say.”

A message seeking comment was left with a lawyer who represented Graff in past legal matters.

James, a Democrat, has said her three-year probe uncovered evidence the Trump Organization misstated the value of assets like skyscrapers and golf courses on financial statements for more than a decade.

Trump, a Republican, denies the allegations. His lawyers contend James is using her civil investigation to gain access to information that could then be used against the former president in a criminal inquiry.

Trump is also suing James in federal court, seeking to shut down her investigation.

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2022-05-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-05-24T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://edition.arkansasonline.com/article/281732683102509

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