New York - (AFP) - US judicial authorities have agreed to delay giving former President Donald Trump his testimony in a civil investigation in New York related to allegations of fraud in his company, due to the death of his ex-wife, Ivana.

Trump and his sons Donald Jr. and Ivanka were scheduled to testify under oath in the investigation led by New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday.

But a spokesman for James said the affidavits were being held due to the death Thursday of Ivana Trump, the mother of Donald Jr. and Ivanka.

"In light of the death of Ivana Trump yesterday, we received a request from Donald Trump's lawyers and children to defer giving the three statements, which we agreed to," the spokesperson added in a statement emailed to AFP.

He noted that the postponement was "temporary and deposition will be rescheduled as soon as possible. No further information on dates or otherwise to be provided at this time," adding, "We offer our condolences to the Trump family."

Ivana Trump died at the age of 73 at her home in Manhattan. The police are investigating whether the death resulted from a fall on the stairs of her home, and the city coroner will determine the cause of death.

James suspects that the Trump Organization fraudulently overvalued real estate when applying for bank loans, while undervaluing it to tax authorities in order to pay lower taxes.

The Trump family has denied any wrongdoing, but in June a judge ruled that investigators must question Trump and his two sons within a week, starting July 15.

And if James, who belongs to the Democratic Party, finds any evidence of financial misconduct, she will be able to sue the “Trump Organization” for damages, but she cannot file criminal charges because it is a civil investigation.

The investigation led by James is one of several legal battles in which Trump has been embroiled, threatening to complicate any attempt to run for the US presidency again in 2024.

The Trump Organization is also under investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney for possible financial crimes and insurance fraud.