Trump says he declined to answer deposition questions in Trump Organization probe
CBC
Former U.S. 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 appearing for testimony in New York State Attorney General Letitia James's probe into whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values to obtain favourable loans and understated asset values to get tax breaks.
"I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution," Trump said in a statement issued roughly an hour after he arrived, via motorcade, at the attorney general's office in lower Manhattan.
The U.S. Constitution's Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination. Trump's decision not to answer questions still could carry consequences, however; should the investigation lead to a trial, jurors could take his silence into account. Politically, it also could give adversaries ammunition about whether Trump has something to hide as he mulls another run for the presidency in 2024.
James has said her 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 obtain benefits.
Trump did not leave the attorney general's office until about six hours after he arrived, suggesting he faced questions for much of the day.
Trump, a Republican, again denied wrongdoing and in his statement sought to portray the investigation by James, a Democrat, as part of a years-long vendetta against him by her and others, including the news media.
"I once asked, 'If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?'" Trump said in his statement. "Now I know the answer to that question."
Trump 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."
In the statement, Trump made disparaging comments about James and violent crime in New York state.
He also attempted 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.
A spokesperson for James declined to comment on the deposition. A lawyer for Trump did not respond to requests for comment.
Trump agreed in June to testify in the three-year investigation, but only after court decisions rejecting his argument that the probe was politically motivated, so he should not have to testify.
His lawyers also argued that Trump's words could be unfairly used against him in a related criminal probe led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg in which James also is involved. Two top prosecutors in that case resigned in March, with one saying Bragg was skeptical of bringing charges against Trump. A Bragg spokesperson on Wednesday said that criminal probe continues.
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