‘We have commenced an investigation into Trump’s finances’: New York attorney general

The Attorney General of New York updated MSNBC's Rachel Maddow into her office's investigations into President Donald Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and the National Rifle Association (NRA).

"In addition to the breaking news we have been covering tonight that special counsel Robert Mueller gave Attorney General Bill Barr a piece of his mind for publicly misrepresenting Mueller's findings in his report," Maddow noted. "Just in the past 24 hours, the president and his three adult children and the Trump family business all sued two banks that they've done business with, including Deutsche Bank, to try to block these banks from handing over Trump-related financial information in response to Congressional subpoenas."

"This follows a week after Trump also sued his own accounting firm trying to stop them from replying to Congressional subpoenas and handing over information about Trump's financial dealings and taxes," Maddow noted.

"Here's one question that arises out of that fight. If Mr. Trump and his family and his business are concerned to the point of hyperventilating in a paper bag at the prospect of anybody getting a look at their finances and taxes, why are they not also suing the New York state Attorney General?" Maddow wondered. "New York Attorney General Latisha James is chasing a lot of this same stuff or at least stuff along the same lines."

Maddow interviewed James.

"I wanted to get your reaction tonight just as a law enforcement official in relation to this breaking news that we're covering about the special counsel's report and this reporting that the special counsel himself has expressed anger to the attorney general about the mischaracterization of his findings," Maddow said.

"It truly was a mischaracterization. He misled the public and he misled Congress, and it's really critically important that unfortunately, he stepped outside of his boundary," James replied.

"You are in a unique position as the top law enforcement official in New York state, given the jurisdiction of your office and the powers of your office," Maddow noted. "We have seen Congressional committees pursue things related to taxes in the wake of Mueller's report and the revelation that it does not seem that Mueller made that a central element of his investigation. You have been reported to also have pursued some of these lines of inquiry, particularly after Michael Cohen, the president's longtime lawyer, suggested in sworn testimony that the president had inflated his assets for the purpose of obtaining bank loans or trying to obtain bank loans."

"Can you tell us anything about your office and its investigation along those lines?" Maddow asked.

"So what I can tell you, Rachel -- and obviously we do not want to jeopardize any investigation -- I can tell you we have commenced an investigation into the Trumps' finances and it's based on the testimony of Mr. Michael Cohen and as a result of that, we have issued subpoenas to certain banks and we are in the process of discovery. and that is about all that I can tell you without jeopardizing that investigation."

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