Trump Refuses To Answer Questions In Deposition By N.Y. Attorney General

Breaking Business Trump Refuses To Answer Questions In Deposition By N. Y. Attorney General Alison Durkee Forbes Staff New! Follow this author to stay notified about their latest stories.

Got it! Aug 10, 2022, 10:49am EDT | Updated Aug 10, 2022, 11:08am EDT Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Topline Former President Donald Trump did not answer any questions during his deposition in the New York attorney general’s investigation into his company, he said Wednesday, claiming he had “no choice” but to plead the Fifth Amendment in light of the FBI raiding his Mar-A-Lago estate on Monday. Former President Donald Trump waves as he departs Trump Tower on Aug. 10 in New York, on his way to .

. . [+] the New York attorney general’s office for a deposition in a civil investigation.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Key Facts Trump was set to testify Wednesday as part of New York Attorney General Letitia James’ long-running civil probe into the Trump Organization and its financial dealings, in which James has said investigators have found “significant” evidence of fraud.

In a statement posted to his social network Truth Social, Trump said he “declined to answer the questions” under the advice of his legal counsel, as well as because he believes the investigation is a “vindictive and self-serving fishing expedition” and he “did nothing wrong. ” The ex-president pointed to the FBI’s raid on his home Mar-A-Lago on Monday—which was unrelated to the New York investigation and the Trump Organization—and said that “wiped out any uncertainty” about whether or not he would answer questions, alleging that the Biden Administration and prosecutors “have lost all moral and ethical bounds of decency. ” Trump’s children Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump, Jr.

, have already testified as part of the investigation, and NBC News reports neither of them pleaded the Fifth Amendment. James’ office has not yet responded to a request for comment. Crucial Quote “I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question,” Trump said.

“When your family, your company, and all the people in your orbit have become the targets of an unfounded, politically motivated Witch Hunt … you have no choice. ” What To Watch For James’ investigation into the Trump Organization is still ongoing and it’s unclear when it will come to an end, as legal experts told Forbes in January probes like this can go on for years. As a civil investigation, the investigation could end with James formally bringing a civil lawsuit against the company, Trump or any of his associates in court, rather than any criminal charges.

If the court finds the company or any individuals guilty of fraud, it could result in punishments ranging from monetary damages to the court revoking the Trump Organization’s business certificate. Key Background A state judge ordered Trump and his children to testify in James’ investigation in February, and his deposition was initially set to take place in July before getting delayed due to the death of his ex-wife Ivana Trump. The Trumps had asked the court to block the subpoenas for their testimony because they believed any information they gave could be used against them as part of James’ separate criminal probe into the Trump Organization, as well as alleging the Democratic AG has a “political agenda.

” The judge was unswayed, telling them their argument “completely misses the mark” and they could simply refuse to answer questions under the Fifth Amendment if they didn’t want to incriminate themselves. James has been investigating the Trump Organization since 2019 and expanded it to include a criminal probe in May 2021. The investigation is examining whether the Trump Organization fraudulently misstated the value of its assets for economic gain, and James alleged in April the company used fraudulent asset valuations “and other misrepresentations” to secure things like loans and tax deductions “on terms more favorable than the true facts warranted.

” Further Reading Trump Set To Testify In New York Attorney General’s Civil Investigation Into His Business (Forbes) Trump And His Children Must Testify In New York AG’s Trump Organization Probe, Judge Rules (Forbes) Trump Depositions In New York Probe Delayed After Ivana’s Death (Forbes) Here’s Why The Investigations Against Trump And His Company Are Taking So Long (Forbes) Follow me on Twitter . Send me a secure tip . Alison Durkee Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.