Five years ago, Donald Trump promised to preserve more than 150 acres of rolling woodlands in an exclusive swath of New York suburbia prized for its luxury homes and rural tranquility.

In exchange for setting aside this land on his estate known as Seven Springs, Trump received a tax break of $21.1 million, according to court documents.

The size of Trump’s tax windfall was set by a 2016 appraisal that valued Seven Springs at $56.5 million — more than double the value assessed by the three Westchester county towns that each contained a piece of the property.

The valuation has now become a focal point of what could be one of the most consequential investigations facing President Trump as he heads into the election.

New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) is investigating whether the Trump Organization improperly inflated the value of Seven Springs as part of the conservation easement on the property, according to filings in the case in August. The investigation also scrutinizes valuations, tax burdens and conservation easements at Trump’s holdings in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City….

More…

Note…

Gonna be more stuff dropping on Trump in the media during the next 3 1/2 weeks….

Bet on it….

image…President-elect Trump and three of his children listen during a news conference at Trump Tower in New York in January 2017. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)