The recent legal setbacks for Donald Trump 4:14
(CNN) --
There's a reason Donald Trump is riding out Hurricane Ian at his Florida beach club: He was scheduled to give testimony at Mar-a-Lago on Friday as a defendant in a class action lawsuit.
The revelation was made public in letters filed in court Wednesday by the attorneys who sued him.
They are trying to question the former president in an ongoing case that accuses him, his adult children and the Trump Organization of deception and fraud, as they allegedly promoted racketeering businesses.
🌀 Follow Ian's journey live
John Quinn, one of the attorneys representing a group of Trump accusers, told a federal judge Wednesday that Trump refused to move his statement out of Palm Beach, even as the hurricane approached.
Quinn and his team did not want to fly to Florida this week given the severity of the storm, and said Trump's side would not move the declaration to Bedminster, New Jersey, where Trump has a golf club.
The court had set a deadline of Friday for attorneys to question Trump and others in the case under oath.
But Trump's lawyers countered in court Wednesday night that they had flown to Palm Beach this week, with Trump set to testify.
And they said they would have rescheduled the deposition if only Quinn's team had asked.
advertising
Trump's attorney, Clifford Robert, called Quinn on Tuesday, Quinn wrote in the letter to Manhattan federal court, "to tell me that he and his colleague were boarding a flight to Palm Beach. I expressed some surprise, I think I used the word 'shocked,' but Mr. Robert indicated that they were going to fly there anyway."
"We searched for Mr. Robert and his colleague again this afternoon, both by phone and email, but were unable to reach them," Quinn told the judge.
"Consequently, the last we hear is that the defendants insist that the deposition take place at Mar-a-Lago and on Friday. With all due respect, we do not believe that it is prudent or safe."
Quinn included in his letter a radar image showing the intensity of Hurricane Ian.
As of Wednesday night, Ian had weakened to a Category 2 hurricane within hours of hitting southwest Florida, but authorities continued to warn people to take shelter because they said the worst of the storm could be on its way.
Trump's team responded in court a few hours later on Wednesday that Quinn was misrepresenting what had happened.
Robert wrote that he had checked to see if Friday at Mar-a-Lago was still an option, and Quinn had said yes.
"President Trump is ready, willing and able to proceed with his deposition on Friday," Trump's attorney told the judge.
"Now that we have all traveled to West Palm Beach, and are currently sitting in the middle of a hurricane while Plaintiffs' attorneys enjoy the comforts of home, Plaintiffs have the nerve to request that the statement for which Defendants dedicated a considerable time and the preparation of the resources is canceled less than 48 hours before the scheduled date and time.
Robert also accused the lawyers who sued Trump of trying to give the public the impression that Trump is unreasonable.
Donald Trump Nearly Fired Jared and Ivanka Through Tweet, New Book Says
Judge Sarah Cave of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday night extended the deadline for Quinn's team to question Trump, saying it had done so "out of concern for the safety of the parties, the court reporter, the cameraman and any other required assistants of the Interrogation".
The deadline for Trump to be questioned is now October 31.
The lawsuit, which was filed in 2018, alleges that Trump and three of his adult children used his reality show "The Celebrity Apprentice" and other promotional events to rake in money for their support of a multi-level marketing scheme and other fraudulent businesses.
The suit claims investors with no business experience were swindled, in large part because they were swayed by Trump promotions.
Ivanka Trump, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. were also on the list of people Quinn's team could question, having previously agreed to sit down for interviews.
