Trump took the Fifth Amendment at least 440 times in deposition with NYS attorney general Letitia James: report
That’s a whole lot of self-incrimination.
Former President Donald Trump pleaded the Fifth Amendment at least 440 times on Wednesday to avoid answering questions in his four-hour deposition with New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office in lower Manhattan about business dealings at his real estate company, according to NBC News.
“Under the advice of my counsel ... I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution,” the former Manhattan mogul said in a statement after exercising his right against self-incrimination.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump leaves Trump Tower to meet with New York Attorney General Letitia James for a civil investigation on August 10, 2022 in New York City. (James Devaney/)
According to one of Trump’s attorneys, the only question the ex-president answered willingly was to acknowledge his name.
A spokesman for James confirmed that Trump took the Fifth, without elaborating.
The grilling included questions about the valuations of various Trump Organization properties and golf clubs, mortgages, loans and the size of Trump’s apartment, said Ron Fischetti, a lawyer for Trump.
Trump has repeatedly denounced political opponents and associates who take the Fifth, noting that “mobsters” and “guilty people” invoke the right to avoid incriminating themselves.
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The former president says he changed his mind because he considers the probe into the Trump Organization to be an unfounded “witch hunt.”
“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’” Trump said in a statement. “Now I know the answer to that question.”
“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,” Trump added.
The civil probe by James is unrelated to this week’s search by federal agents at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, which was aimed at recovering classified documents.
