前总统的律师唐纳德·特朗普他对一项裁决提出上诉，该裁决要求他和他的两个最大的孩子必须在纽约州总检察长对该家族商业行为的调查中作证。
特朗普的律师周一提交了上诉通知，这是在a纽约法官裁定2月17日，三名特朗普必须在21天内出庭作证。
特朗普家族曾试图撤销作证传票，但没有成功，他们认为，在曼哈顿地区检察官办公室仍在进行单独的刑事调查时，司法部长办公室发出民事调查传票是不合适的。
纽约州最高法院的亚瑟·恩戈伦法官驳回了这一观点。
“这个论点完全没有击中要害，”恩戈伦在他的决定中写道。“无论是OAG还是曼哈顿地区检察官办公室都没有传唤新的特朗普被告到大陪审团面前，新的特朗普被告的论点忽略了一个突出的事实，即他们有绝对的权利拒绝回答他们声称可能会使他们入罪的问题。"
法官指出，两年前，当特朗普的儿子埃里克作为同一调查的一部分出庭作证时，他援引第五修正案的权利反对自证其罪超过500次。
蒂莫西·a·克莱里/法新社
当选总统唐纳德·特朗普带着他的孩子伊万卡和D出席新闻发布会
特朗普还认为对他商业行为的调查是公开的政治，并引用了纽约司法部长莱蒂霞詹姆斯在竞选司法部长期间和之后的声明，她打算调查前总统及其家族的房地产公司。
法官发现这些陈述与传票的合法性无关。
“司法部长詹姆斯，就像被告唐纳德·j·特朗普(Donald J. Trump)一样，在她作为一名政治家竞选拥有调查权的公职时，没有被剥夺第一修正案的言论自由权，”法官的决定说。
“Letitia发表的令人憎恶的言论毫无疑问地表明，这是又一次出于政治动机的政治迫害，”特朗普的律师Alina Habba在回应这项裁决时说。“法院显然已经下定决心，没有兴趣就这个至关重要的问题进行公正的讨论。”
特朗普在裁决后的一份声明中抨击了这项调查。
“她正在他们腐败的权限内做一切事情来干涉我的商业关系和政治进程，”他说詹姆斯。“这是历史上最大的政治迫害的延续——记住，由于法官和司法界对我的仇恨，我在纽约得不到公正的审理。这是不可能的!”
“今天，正义占了上风，”詹姆斯在裁决后说。“法庭命令唐纳德·j·特朗普、小唐纳德·特朗普和伊万卡·特朗普配合我们对特朗普先生和特朗普集团金融交易的合法调查。不允许任何人阻挡对正义的追求，无论他们多么强大。没有人可以凌驾于法律之上。”
Trump appeals ruling ordering depositions in New York probe
Attorneys for former PresidentDonald Trumphave appealed a ruling that he and his two eldest children must testify in the investigation by the New York state attorney general into the family's business practices.
Trump's attorneys filed the notice of appeal on Monday, nearly two weeks after aNew York judge ruledon Feb 17 that the three Trumps must sit for depositions within 21 days.
The Trump family had unsuccessfully tried to quash the subpoena for testimony, arguing that it was improper for the attorney general's office to issue subpoenas for its civil investigation while the Manhattan district attorney's office is still conducting its separate criminal probe.
Judge Arthur Engoron of the New York State Supreme Court rejected that argument.
"This argument completely misses the mark," Engoron wrote in his decision. "Neither OAG nor the Manhattan District Attorney's office has subpoenaed the New Trump Respondents to appear before a grand jury, The New Trump Respondents' argument overlooks the salient fact that they have an absolute right to refuse to answer questions that they claim may incriminate them."
The judge noted that when Trump's son Eric sat for a deposition two years ago as part of the same investigation, he invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 500 times.
Trump also argued that theinvestigation into his business practicesis overtly political, and cited statements New York Attorney General Letitia James made during and after her campaign for attorney general about her intentions to investigate the former president and his family's real estate firm.
The judge found those statements had no bearing on the legitimacy of the subpoenas.
"Attorney General James, just like respondent Donald J. Trump, was not deprived of her First Amendment rights to free speech when she was a politician running for a public office with investigatory powers," the judge's decision said.
"The abhorrent statements made by Letitia leave no doubt that this is yet another politically motivated witch-hunt," Trump attorney Alina Habba said in response to the ruling. "The court clearly had its mind made up and had no interest in engaging in impartial discourse on this critically important issue."
Trump, in a statement following the ruling, blasted the investigation.
"She is doing everything within their corrupt discretion to interfere with my business relationships, and with the political process," he said of James. "It is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in history -- and remember, I can't get a fair hearing in New York because of the hatred of me by Judges and the judiciary. It is not possible!"
"Today, justice prevailed," said James following the ruling. "Donald J. Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump have been ordered by the court to comply with our lawful investigation into Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization's financial dealings. No one will be permitted to stand in the way of the pursuit of justice, no matter how powerful they are. No one is above the law."
