Former President Donald Trump pleaded the Fifth Amendment under questioning on Wednesday in the most serious escalation of New York’s three-year civil investigation into questionable financial dealings inside the Trump Organization.
The investigation led by New York Attorney General Letitia James is believed to be reaching its final stages and Trump was scheduled to give a deposition behind closed doors. During the proceeding, he asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
“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,” he said in a statement before the deposition, according to The New York Times.
Trump lost a months-long court battle to avoid testifying in the case and at one time he equated pleading the Fifth to admitting guilt — something he actually referenced in his statement Wednesday.
“If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment? 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.”
On why he is invoking the Fifth Amendment, Trump also inexplicably blamed President Joe Biden’s administration.
“I have absolutely no choice because the current administration and many prosecutors in this country have lost all moral and ethical bounds of decency.”
“Does it look bad? In the general public’s understanding, yes,” says Howard University criminal law professor Lenese Herbert. “But that’s just a result of poor civics education.” Source – AP News
James’ office has been investigating Trump’s business dealings and is deciding whether to file a civil suit against he and his company. She’s said previously that her office has found “substantial evidence establishing numerous misrepresentations” in financial statements given by Trump to banks and the Internal Revenue Service.Former President Donald Trump speaks to supporters at a rally in Waukesha, Wis., last Friday for Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Tim Michels. Photo by Alex Wroblewski/UPI
Trump was in New York this week when the FBI raided his Florida home as part of a separate investigation involving documents from Trump’s White House. Dozens of agents were involved in the raid, which was related to potentially missing documents that Trump may have taken with him to Florida when he left office in 2021.
Trump has denied wrongdoing and denounced both the New York investigation and the FBI’s raid on Monday night. Some Trump-aligned Republicans and supporters have demanded an explanation for why the bureau raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Fla.
“My great company, and myself, are being attacked from all sides,” he said of the New York investigation in a social post, according to the Times.
In another setback, Trump also lost a federal appeal this week to prevent a congressional committee from accessing his prior tax returns. Trump has fought for years to keep those returns private.
Separately, the Manhattan district attorney’s office is conducting its own criminal investigation into the Trump Organization, and Trump’s answers in Wednesday’s deposition could carry weight in that case. He’s also implicated in another federal investigation related to efforts in Georgia to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
James’ investigation, which began in March 2019, is specifically looking into whether Trump’s real estate business enriched itself by inflating the value of his properties, including his hotels and golf clubs.
In a court filing earlier this year, James described the Trump Organization’s business practices as “fraudulent or misleading” — but at the time said her office could not determine who was responsible among Trump and two of his adult children.
Ivanka Trump, who was a senior White House adviser during his administration, and Donald Trump Jr. have already testified under oath in the case.
Earlier this week, real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield turned over more than 35,000 documents to James’ office as part of the investigation. Cushman & Wakefield has appraised several of Trump’s properties.
Trump has given sworn testimony about his financial statements in the past, too, and some of his closest advisers are trying to convince him to do the same this time around. Others say Trump should keep quiet to avoid legal jeopardy, which could potentially ruin any chances of him holding office again in the future.
“If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment,” Trump asked during a campaign stop in 2016.
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tell them to pound sand.
You’re a lot more polite than me. I’d have told that black Communist hypocrite to catch AIDS and drop dead.
Use the hillary defense “Sorry but i can’t recall”.
Nancy Pelosi admitted an unfortunate truth about her
orchestrate and fabricated President Trump’s impeachment “farce”
– It hinges on witness’s “allegations” not “proof”.
It’s Not A Question” Of “Proof”, It’s About “Allegations”
https://youtu.be/7dzhIxeF204
They should be investigating Babbling Biden, his brother, and his criminal drug-addict son. Or maybe Queen Nancy Pe-lousy and her drunk-driving husband.
But they won’t…. They’re dem-rats and can do no wrong. Even when they’re caught red-handed.
AND you can bet, even if the GOP some how, gets back control over both the house and senate, THEY WON’T do a damn thing, other than waste MORE TIME AND MONEY “Investigating” him.. WITH NO CHARGES, just like we saw with hillary.
“Trump also lost a federal appeal this week to prevent a congressional committee from accessing his prior tax returns.”
Serious question, by what authority does congress have the right to access the tax returns of a privite citizen?
sjm: “Serious question, by what authority does congress have the right to access the tax returns of a privite citizen?”
They don’t. But Rights don’t mean a thing to the Left. Except their perceived Right to be above the Rules, especially the Rules of Law.
Besides, the IRS has audited Trump every year since he was in business. They are the height of microscopic nit-pickers. If there was anything untoward or even just a little suspicious, don’t you think they would have found it? Are the Dems saying the IRS is incompetent?
And you said it right. The taxes they want from him deal with when he was a private citizen.
Presidential candidates offer their tax returns voluntarily. Fine. But you know, 97% of most presidential candidates have already been politicians getting paid by taxpayers most of their adult life. Since the taxpayers were paying their salaries, which they get to vote themselves in raises on a whim, I think we, The People, do have a right to see their returns and have an accounting.
“Um, Congressman, how is it you’ve been paid a low six figure salary for the last six years, and while you came to office broke, you are now a multi-millionaire?”
But Trump was a private citizen until he ran for President. Not the same at all.
Like every other tactic the left has tried to get away with for the best part of six years, it’s just another lame fishing expedition with an empty can of worms.
BY the right of “WE ARE THE ONES IN POWER, so we can do what ever the hell we want”..