New York prosecutors subpoenaed President Donald Trump’s longtime bank last year during a probe into his business practices, and the lender complied, The New York Times reported.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office sent the subpoena to Deutsche Bank, requesting financial documents Trump and his company used to secure billions of dollars in loans. Deutsche Bank has been Trump’s main lender since the 1990s and has loaned his company more than $2 billion.
The Times, citing unnamed people familiar with the subpoena, said bank officials responded by providing detailed records about its dealings with Trump and his company, including information he provided to secure the loans. The outlet said prosecutors sought any material that may point to fraud, although the probe is still in its early stages.
Cyrus Vance, New York’s district attorney, has spent nearly a year trying to obtain eight years of the president’s personal and corporate tax returns. Trump has denied wrongdoing and has engaged in a furious legal battle to block the release of his taxes.
The Supreme Court upheld Vance’s subpoena in July, saying the Constitution does not bar a grand jury from demanding the records of a president. But Trump has so far refused to hand them over.
Lawmakers in Congress have also sought the records, although the Supreme Court said they could not see them until lower courts determine if the request for information should be narrowed. The decision almost guarantees Congress wouldn’t be able to see the documents until after the November election.
Wednesday’s report follows a court filing earlier this week that suggests the district attorney was investigating whether Trump and his business committed bank and insurance fraud. Vance filed documents that mention “public reports of possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization.”
“This possible criminal activity occurred within the applicable statutes of limitations, particularly if the transactions involved a continuing pattern of conduct,” the DA said in the filing.
The move signals that Vance may be looking into broader possible lawbreaking. Initial reports suggested that the investigation focused on hush money payments before the 2016 election to two women who said they had affairs with Trump.
On Monday, the president described Vance’s investigation as a “witch hunt.”