NY Gen Bus L § 343 (2021)
2021 New York Laws GBS - General Business Article 22 - Monopolies 343 - Investigation by the Attorney General.

§ 343. Investigation by the attorney general. Whenever it shall appear   to  the  attorney  general, either upon complaint or otherwise, that any   person  or  persons,  partnership,  corporation,   company,   trust   or   association shall have engaged in or engages in or is about to engage in   any  act  or  practice  by  this  article  prohibited  or declared to be   illegal, or that any person, persons, partnership, corporation, company,   trust or association has assisted or participated in any  plan,  scheme,   agreement  or combination of the nature described herein, or whenever he   believes it to be in the public interest that an investigation be  made,   he  may in his discretion either require or permit such person, persons,   partnership, corporation, company, trust or association to file with him   a statement in writing under oath or otherwise as to all the  facts  and   circumstances  concerning  the subject matter which he believes is to be   to the public interest to investigate. The  attorney  general  may  also   require  such other data and information as he may deem relevant and may   make  such  special  and  independent  investigations  as  he  may  deem   necessary  in  connection  with  the  matter.  The attorney general, his   deputy, assistant, or other officer designated by him, is  empowered  to   subpoena  witnesses,  compel  their  attendance, examine them under oath   before himself or a magistrate, a court of record or a judge or  justice   thereof,  and  require  the  production  of any books or papers which he   deems  relevant  or  material  to  the  inquiry.  Any  person,  persons,   partnership,  corporation,  company,  trust  or  association  subject to   service of a summons within or without the  state  pursuant  to  article   three  of  the  civil  practice  law  and  rules shall be subject to the   service of a subpoena properly issued pursuant to  this  section.    Any   subpoena  served  hereunder  without  the  state  shall  be issued on an   ex-parte order of the court based upon a showing that the information or   testimony sought bears a reasonable relationship to the  subject  matter   under  investigation.  All papers filed in connection with the obtaining   of said order may be maintained under seal by the  clerk  of  the  court   upon  application  of  the  attorney  general  to the court. Any person,   persons, partnership, corporation, company, trust, or  association,  who   has  been  served  with  subpoena  pursuant  to  this section may make a   motion, pursuant to section  twenty-three  hundred  four  of  the  civil   practice  law  and  rules,  to  quash,  fix  conditions,  or modify such   subpoena. Any and all papers previously sealed by the court may be  made   available  to  the person making such motion. Such power of subpoena and   examination shall not abate or terminate by  reason  of  any  action  or   proceeding brought by the attorney general under this article. No person   shall  be  excused  from  attending  such  inquiry  in  pursuance to the   mandates of a subpoena, or from producing a paper or book,  document  or   any other record, or from being examined or required to answer questions   on  the  ground  of  failure  to  tender or pay a witness fee or mileage   unless demand therefor is made at the time  testimony  is  about  to  be   taken  and  as  a  condition  precedent  to  offering such production or   testimony  and  unless  payment  thereof  be  not  thereupon  made.  The   provisions for payment of witness fee and/or mileage do not apply to any   officer,  director  or  person in the employ of any person, partnership,   company, corporation, trust or association whose  conduct  or  practices   are  being  investigated.  If a person subpoenaed to attend such inquiry   fails to obey the command of the subpoena without good cause,  or  if  a   person  in  attendance  upon such inquiry shall without reasonable cause   refuse to be sworn or to answer a question or to produce a book,  paper,   document or other record when ordered to do so by the officer conducting   such  inquiry,  or if a person, partnership, corporation, company, trust   or association fails  to  perform  any  act  hereunder  required  to  be   performed,  he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. The foregoing shall not    prevent the attorney general from instituting civil contempt proceedings   under section twenty-three hundred eight (b) of the civil  practice  law   and  rules  against any person who violates any of the above provisions.   It shall be the duty of all public officers, their deputies, assistants,   clerks,  subordinates  or employees, and all other persons to render and   furnish  to  the  attorney  general,  his  deputy  or  other  designated   representative,  when  so  requested,  all information and assistance in   their possession or within their power.  Any  officer  participating  in   such  inquiry and any person examined as a witness upon such inquiry who   shall disclose to any person other than the attorney general the name of   any witness  examined  or  any  other  information  obtained  upon  such   inquiry,  except  as so directed by the attorney general shall be guilty   of a misdemeanor. Such inquiry may upon  written  authorization  of  the   attorney general be made public.The  misdemeanors  provided  in  this section shall be punishable by a   fine of not more than one thousand dollars or imprisonment for not  more   than one year, or both.