New York Prosecutors Subpoena Trump's Bank as Part of Criminal Inquiry: Report

By Rebecca Klar, The Hill

06 August 20

ew York prosecutors have subpoenaed President Trump’s longtime lender, Deutsche Bank, as part of the criminal investigation into the president's business practices, The New York Times reported Wednesday.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office issued the subpoena last year seeking financial records Trump and his company provided to the bank, the newspaper reported, citing unnamed sources. 

The Times report follows a court filing prosecutors wrote earlier this week hinting that its subpoena for Trump’s tax returns is part of a larger investigation into the Trump Organization, including potential fraud allegations detailed in media reports in recent years.

The subpoena from the office of the Manhattan district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr., appears to be the first instance of a criminal inquiry involving Trump and his dealings with Deutsche Bank, which has lent him and his company more than $2 billion over the past two decades, the Times reported.

A person briefed on the matter told the Times that the inquiry is still at an early stage.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment when contacted by The Hill.

The subpoena sought documents on various topics related to Trump and his company, including any materials that might point to possible fraud, the Times reported.

The bank reportedly complied with the subpoena, and last year supplied Vance's office with detailed records of financial statements and other materials Trump provided to the bank as he sought loans.

Trump has fought the subpoena for his financial records. The Supreme Court in a 7-2 ruling in July rejected Trump’s claims that he was immune from state criminal investigations such as the one in New York. Trump’s attorney followed with a new complaint arguing that the subpoena is overly broad and amounts to presidential “harassment.” 

In response to the Monday court filing hinting at a larger investigation into conduct at the Trump organization, Trump said the prosecutor's inquiry into his tax returns is a “continuation of the witch hunt.”