Former US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he refused to answer questions during an appearance before the New York state attorney general in a civil investigation into his family’s business practices, citing his constitutional right against self-incrimination.
Trump, his son Donald Trump, Jr., and daughter Ivanka Trump had fought unsuccessfully to avoid testifying in New York State Attorney General Letitia James’ investigation into whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values to get soft loans and understated asset values. get tax exemptions.
“I refused to answer questions about the rights and privileges granted to every citizen under the Constitution of the United States,” Trump said in a statement issued about an hour after arriving, by motorcade, at the office of the attorney general in lower Manhattan.
The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution protects against self-incrimination. Trump’s decision not to answer questions could still have consequences, however; if the investigation leads to a trial, jurors could consider their silence. Politically, it could also give opponents ammunition on whether Trump has something to hide as he considers another run for the presidency in 2024.
James has said his investigation has uncovered significant evidence that the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses and other real estate, gave banks and tax authorities misleading financial information to make a profit.
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Trump on Fifth Amendment grounds
Trump, a Republican, again denied wrongdoing and in his statement sought to portray the investigation of James, a Democrat, as part of a years-long vendetta against him by her and others, including the media .
“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why do you accept the Fifth Amendment?'” Trump said in his statement. “Now I know the answer to that question.”
Trump added: “When your family, your company and everyone in your orbit has become the target of a baseless and politically motivated witch hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors and Fake News Media, you have no choice.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks at a press conference in New York City on June 6. James has been leading a civil investigation of the Trump Organization since 2019. (Mary Altaffer/The Associated Press)
In the statement, Trump made disparaging comments about James and violent crime in New York state.
He also sought to link the state attorney general’s investigation to Monday’s FBI search of his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago. That search was related to the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, which safeguards presidential records that belong to the public, and whether classified documents were kept at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, according to a person familiar with the matter. the matter
Neither a spokesman for James nor a lawyer for Trump immediately responded to requests for comment.
Trump agreed in June to testify in the three-year investigation, but only after court rulings rejected his argument that the probe was politically motivated, so he shouldn’t have to testify.
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The legal problems continue
Trump raised his fist as he left Trump Tower on Wednesday morning, dressed in a blue suit with a flag pin on the lapel, before heading to the attorney general’s office. New York City police officers and Secret Service personnel stood guard as the motorcade carrying Trump arrived.
By early afternoon, Trump had still not been seen leaving the building, suggesting his deposition had yet to end.
In the past, Trump has disparaged people for exercising their Fifth Amendment rights.
“The mob takes the fifth,” Trump said during a 2016 campaign rally. “If you’re innocent, why do you accept the Fifth Amendment?”
In this case, he was talking about people who had exercised their Fifth Amendment rights in an investigation related to Democrat Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server for official correspondence while in office as secretary of state. Clinton was Trump’s opponent in that year’s presidential election.
Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump also testified in recent weeks in the James investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter. Reuters could not determine whether they also declined to answer questions. His brother Eric Trump invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 500 times when he testified in October 2020.
Anti-Trump protesters stand in front of Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday. The FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate marked a dramatic and unprecedented escalation of law enforcement scrutiny of the former president, angering most Republicans. (Seth Wenig/The Associated Press)
Trump has had a slew of legal troubles since leaving office. He also continues to falsely claim that the 2020 election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden was stolen through widespread vote fraud.