Former President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against potential self-incrimination and declined to answer questions this morning during a deposition by lawyers with the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James.
“Under the advice of my counsel and for all of the above reasons, I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution,” said Trump in a statement.
“I once asked, ”˜If you”™re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”™ Now I know the answer to that question,” the statement added. “When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded politically motivated Witch Hunt supported by lawyers, prosecutors and the Fake News Media, you have no choice.”
James’ office has conducted a three-year civil investigation into Trump, some of his family members and some of his companies engaged in possible bank, tax and insurance fraud in connection with real estate holdings, including both the Trump Seven Springs Estate and the Trump National Golf Course in Westchester.
Trump”™s children Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump were reportedly deposed by James”™ office, but it is not certain if they also invoked their Fifth Amendment rights and declined to answer questions. Eric Trump, another son of the former president, sat for a deposition in the same investigation in 2020 and invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 500 times, according to court papers.
