Donald Trump being sued – latest: Trump blames banks for tax scandal and says he can declassify papers by thinking about it

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Trump claims he can declassify top secret documents just by thinking about it

Donald Trump has claimed that as president he had the authority to declassify top secret documents just by thinking about it, as he blamed banks themselves for failing to check his company’s valuations.

He was speaking on Fox News after New Yorks attorney general accused the Trump Organization of inflating his net worth by billions of dollars and habitually misleading banks.

Dubbing it the art of the steal, Letitia James in her suit has also named his children Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump as defendants.

The 222-page suit detailed instances of alleged fraud, many involving claims made on annual financial statements that Mr. Trump would give to banks, business associates and financial magazines as proof of his riches as he sought loans and deals.

Also under probe for removing government-owned documents from the White House and taking them to his Florida estate, Mr Trump told Sean Hannity that there doesn’t have to be a process for declassifying documents if you are the president of the United States.

Key pointsShow latest update 1663826353How Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez inadvertently sparked New York attorney generals Trump lawsuit?

On Wednesday, when New York Attorney General Letitia James announced her $250m civil lawsuit against former president Donald Trump, she specifically cited former Trump attorney Michael Cohens testimony in 2019 where he revealed that the former president fraudulently inflated the value of his assets.

I will remind everyone that this investigation only started after Michael Cohen, the former lawyer, his former lawyer testified before Congress [and] shed light on this misconduct, she said.

The question that triggered Mr. Cohen’s response came in 2019 from Ms. James’s fellow New Yorker, Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, reports Eric Garcia.

How AOC inadvertently sparked the New York attorney generals Trump lawsuit

This investigation only started after Michael Cohen … testified before Congress shed light on this misconduct, Letitia James says

Namita Singh22 September 2022 06:59

1663825500Watch: Bill Barr says AG James grossly overreaches by involving Trumps adult children

Oliver O’Connell22 September 2022 06:45

1663825147The walls are closing in on Donald Trump is his time finally up?

With New Yorks attorney general suing Donald Trump and his company, alleging business fraud involving some of their most prized assets, including properties in Manhattan, Chicago and Washington, are the walls finally closing in on the former president?

The walls are closing in on Donald Trump is his time finally up?

Former president faces multiple challenges on many fronts, writes Andrew Buncombe

Namita Singh22 September 2022 06:39

1663818301Iranian president calls for Trump to face fair tribunal for Soleimani killing

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Wednesday slammed former president Donald Trumps authorization of the January 2020 drone strike which killed Iranian Revolutionary Guard Guard Corps General Qasem Soleimani as a crime for which the ex-president must face justice.

Speaking at the 2022 United Nations General Assembly in New York, Mr. Raisi described the late military leader as a freedom seeking man who became a martyr at Mr. Trump’s hands.

Andrew Feinberg listened to the remarks.

Iranian president calls for Trump to face fair tribunal for Soleimani killing

Mr Raisi says Mr Trump should face a fair tribunal for his ordering of the 2020 drone strike which killed General Qasem Soleimani

Oliver O’Connell22 September 2022 04:45

1663815601Watch: Reckoning has begun’ for Trump

Oliver O’Connell22 September 2022 04:00

1663812901Five key takeaways from New Yorks $250m lawsuit against Trump

The lawsuit details how the Trump Organization falsified financial statements and the value of his property, the role of his children in all of this, and his bizarre attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills. Eric Garcia takes a look at the suit.

Five major allegations from New York’s $250m lawsuit against Trump

The lawsuit details how the Trump Organization falsified financial statements and the value of his property, the role of his children and his own bizarre attempt to buy the Buffalo Bills.

Oliver O’Connell22 September 2022 03:15

1663812260Trump claims FBI took his last will and testament in Mar-a-Lago search

Former president Donald Trump claimed the FBI agents who executed a court-authorized search of his Palm Beach, Florida home took his last will and testament in addition to the 100 classified documents found in his office and a nearby storage room.

They took a lot. I think they took my will. I found out yesterday, said the twice-impeached ex-president during an appearance on Fox News host Sean Hannity’s eponymous nightly program.

Mr Trump told Hannity his attorneys and the National Archives and Records Administration were having very nice discussions, no problems, when all of a sudden we got hit very hard by the FBI on August 8.

When the twice-impeached ex-president suggested that FBI agents had taken his will, Hannity responded: Am I in it?

Andrew Feinberg is following the news from Washington.

Trump claims FBI took his last will and testament in Mar-a-Lago search

Former president Donald Trump claimed the FBI agents who executed a court-authorized search of his Palm Beach, Florida home took his last will and testament in addition to the 100 classified documents found in his office and a nearby storage room.

Josh Marcus22 September 2022 03:04

1663811942Trump claims he can declassify top secret documents just by thinking about it

Donald Trump says he can declassify top secret government documents just by thinking about it.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, the former president repeated his claim that dozens of secret and confidential papers seized at this Mar-a-Lago home had been declassified.

Asked about the process needed to do that, Mr. Trump said: There doesn’t have to be a process, as I understand it. If you are the president of the United States, you can declassify, even by thinking about it.

Andrew Feinberg is following the breaking news for The Independent.

Trump says he can declassify secret papers just by thinking about it

Donald Trump says he can declassify top secret government documents just by thinking about it.

Josh Marcus22 September 2022 02:59

1663811727Donald Trump defends his handling of documents, even as special master expresses doubts

Donald Trump is now defending his handling of highly sensitive national security documents, claiming in an interview on Fox News on Wednesday that the president can declassify documents just by saying so or even thinking it.

Youre the president, you make that decision, Mr Trump said, adding, I declassified the documents when they left the White House.

The special master, which the Trump team requested be appointed to oversee privilege issues surrounding the White House documents seized by the FBI, has been skeptical of this rationale.

The official has asked Mr. Trump’s lawyers to specifically lay out when and how Mr. Trump declassified various documents that were recovered in the suit.

So far the former presidents lawyers have said they were not in a position to say whether the records at issue were in fact declassified by Mr Trump before he left office.

You did bring a lawsuit, Judge Raymond Dearie said in a hearing on Tuesday.

The official said that unless Mr. Trump was willing to specifically challenge the classification status of various documents with his own evidence, the special master would likely side with the governments argument that the documents remained protected.

As far as Im concerned, thats the end of it, Mr Dearie said, adding, You cant have your cake and eat it too.

If thats the case, taking the documents to Mar-a-Lago and storing them in an unsecure way, as the Justice Department alleges, would likely constitute a violation of federal law.

Heres our reporting on the special master developments in recent days.

Judge who will review Trump documents skeptical of ex-presidents legal strategy

The government gives me prima facie evidence that these are classified documents as far as Im concerned, thats the end of it

Mute! Mute! Mute!: First Trump hearing by special master descends into chaos

You need to mute your phones, one person yells as others use coarse language to get the point across

Josh Marcus22 September 2022 02:55

1663810855Trump claims he was cooperating on handling of White House records seized in Mar-a-Lago raid

Donald Trump is painting an alternative facts-style narrative about his handling of classified White House records, the subject of an FBI investigation into the former president.

In an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Mr Trump told Sean Hannity he was not involved in packing up presidential records as he left the White House, and described a cordial set of conversations with the National Archives over his handling of the materials. So cordial, in fact, Mr Trump said the agency was thanking him.

There was nothing that was hiding, Mr. Trump said.

We were having very nice discussions, no problem, and all of a sudden we got by the FBI very hard, he added.

In reality, in January of 2022, the records agency said it had identified highly sensitive materials being kept at Mar-a-Lago and asked for permission to alert the FBI.

In May, the agency also summarily rejected Mr. Trump’s arguments that his executive and attorney-client privilege protects handing over the documents.

Josh Marcus22 September 2022 02:40

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