EX-PREZ PLEADS FIFTH
Trump repeatedly invokes protection against self-incrimination in N.Y. probe of business dealings
NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath Wednesday in the New York attorney general’s longrunning civil investigation into his business dealings.
About an hour after arriving at Attorney General Letitia James’ Manhattan offices, Trump announced that he “declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution.”
“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question,” the statement said. “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.”
In the past, Trump has repeatedly suggested that only people with something to hide avail themselves of the protection against self-incrimination. He once declared that “the mob takes the Fifth.”
The questioning brought him face-to-face with an official he had called an “out-of-control prosecutor” and a racist. James, a Democrat, is the first Black person to hold her post.
James’ office declined to detail the interview, beyond saying that she personally took part in the deposition.
One of Trump’s lawyers, Ronald Fischetti, told The New York Times the former president answered one question, about his name, read a statement into the record in which he questioned James’ motives, then invoked the Fifth Amendment. Trump then said “same answer” to every question he was asked over several hours, Fischetti said.
As vociferous as Trump has been in defending himself in written statements and on the rally stage, legal experts said answering questions in a deposition was risky because anything he said could potentially be used against him in a parallel criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney. The Fifth Amendment protects people from being compelled to be witnesses against themselves in a criminal case.
If the attorney general’s investigation leads to a civil case against Trump and it went to trial, jurors could be told he invoked his protection against self-incrimination.
Wednesday’s events unfolded two days after FBI agents searched Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida as part of an unrelated federal probe into whether he took classified records when he left the White House.
New York’s investigation is led by James, who has said in court filings that her office has uncovered “significant” evidence that Trump’s company misled lenders and tax authorities about the value of prized assets like golf courses and skyscrapers.
The company, the Trump Organization, even exaggerated the size of Trump’s Manhattan penthouse, saying it was nearly three times its actual size — a difference in value of about $200 million, James’ office said.
Trump has denied the allegations, contending that seeking the best valuations is a common practice in the real estate industry.
During more than six hours at the office building, Trump used Truth Social, the social media platform he founded, to review the decor — “very plush, beautiful and expensive” — and to suggest the attorney general was squandering time investigating him instead of attending to crime in New York.
But after leaving around 3:30 p.m., he described the encounter as “very professional” and added a plug for his “fantastic” company.
Two of Trump’s adult children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, gave depositions in recent days, two people familiar with the matter said. The people were not authorized to speak publicly and did so on condition of anonymity.
It’s unclear whether Ivanka Trump or Donald Trump Jr. invoked the Fifth Amendment. Eric Trump, their brother, did so more than 500 times during a deposition in the same investigation in 2020, according to court papers.