Donald Trump on Tuesday night insisted a former Trump Organization accounting firm cut ties with his company over “vicious intimidation tactics” from the New York authorities investigating him.
The former president alleged accounting firm Mazars was forced to stop working with his company because of “prosecutorial misconduct” by New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is investigating the Trump Organization’s financial dealings.
Trump also blamed the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for the breakup with the company’s long-term accounting firm.
“Mazars has been threatened, harassed, and insulted like virtually no other firm has ever been,” Trump said in a lengthy statement.
The firm’s “decision to withdraw was clearly a result of the AG’s and DA’s vicious intimidation tactics used—also on other members of the Trump Organization,” he said.
“Mazars, who were scared beyond belief, in conversations with us made it clear that they were willing to do or say anything to stop the constant threat which has gone against them for years,” Trump continued.
The accounting firm announced it would stop working with the Trump Organization in a Feb. 9 letter made public Monday.
In the letter to a Trump Organization lawyer, the firm said the decision was made because they determined the former president’s “Statements of Financial Condition” from 2011 to 2020 were unreliable.
A lawyer for Mazars said in the letter that the statements “as a whole,” don’t “contain material discrepancies.” Still, “we believe our advice to you to no longer rely upon those financial statements is appropriate,” the letter continued.
Trump’s lawyers argued the statements were truthful and a Trump Org. spokesperson reiterated that the Mazars letter said it didn’t find “material discrepancies.”
In his statement, Trump praised his company and estimated his net worth to be around $8 to $9 billion.
The Trump camp has repeatedly said Letitia James unfairly targeted the family company for political reasons.AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File
“We have a great company with fantastic assets that are unique, extremely valuable and, in many cases, far more valuable than what was listed in our Financial Statements,” he wrote.
James has said her office uncovered evidence that shows Trump’s company used “fraudulent or misleading” valuations of golf clubs, skyscrapers and other properties to get loans and tax benefits.
The attorney general is seeking testimony from Trump and his kids Ivanka and Don Jr. as part of her investigation.
The Trump camp has repeatedly accused James of unfairly targeting the family company for political reasons and has asked courts to vacate the subpoenas and halt her lawsuit.
With Post wires
