Former US President Donald Trump speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Dallas, Texas, US, on Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022. The Conservative Political Action Conference launched in 1974 brings together conservative organizations, elected leaders, and activists. Photographer: Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A usually very vocal Donald Trump decided to invoke his Fifth Amendment Rights in a deposition today. He declined to answer questions from Letitia James, New York attorney general, CNN reports.
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, Trump stated in a statement.
The deposition comes after a three-year investigation centered around the Trump Organization allegedly misleading insurers and lenders with financial statements.
Trump also said he would see James about the “Witch Hunt in the US” on the Truth Social platform.
The scheduled deposition is one of many events that took place this week for Trump. On Tuesday, the FBI served Trump a warrant to search his Mar-a-Lago home regarding the investigation into whether or not the former president took classified documents from the White House to his residence.
Donald Trump’s lawyer Ronald Fischetti stated he wanted to answer the questions “badly” but was advised not to do so.
This act starkly contrasts the 76-year-old’s previous rhetoric about staying quiet when innocent.
At a Trump rally in Iowa, he stated:
If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?
On Wednesday, businessman stated that he now knows “the answer to that question.”
A spokesperson for James stated in part:
Attorney General Letitia James took part in the deposition during which Mr. Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Attorney General James will pursue the facts and the law wherever they may lead. Our investigation continues.
CNN reports that Trump testified about his financial standings before. In 2007, defamation lawsuit, he stated that his net worth was based on “feelings.” The former reality star said that “everybody” overstates their property value.
When asked if he exaggerated his value, the suspected 2024 Presidential nominee responded:
Not beyond reason.
Roomies, what y’all think about this?
