(Bloomberg) -- New York subpoenaed Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen as part of a state investigation into whether the president's personal charitable foundation engaged in a decade-long pattern of self-dealing.
The state's Department of Taxation and Finance confirmed the subpoena on Wednesday and said it would work with New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood, who sued the Donald J. Trump Foundation in June. The Associated Press earlier reported the subpoena.
James Gazzale, a spokesman for the state tax department, declined to comment on precise details of the subpoena. A person familiar with the request for information, who declined to comment publicly, said it relates specifically to Trump's foundation.
Cohen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to charges including campaign finance violations, admitting he'd arranged to pay before the 2016 election hush money to two women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump. A spokeswoman for Cohen declined to comment.
If it finds evidence of potential criminal wrongdoing, the tax department, overseen by Governor Andrew Cuomo, will need to refer the findings to Underwood because the attorney general already has an active investigation underway.
The attorney's general office oversees charities in New York. The state in June filed a petition to dissolve Trump's foundation alleging a litany of violations, including improperly using foundation assets for political purposes. New York is also seeking to bar Trump from serving on a New York not-for-profit for 10 years.
Trump Foundation Sued by New York for Violating Charity Law
To contact the reporters on this story: Erik Larson in New York at elarson4@bloomberg.net;Henry Goldman in New York at hgoldman@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Glovin at dglovin@bloomberg.net, Mary Romano
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