Trump says he will not reply N.Y. AG’s questions on asset probe

Donald Trump stated he is declining to reply questions by the New York legal professional normal, invoking his Fifth Modification proper in opposition to self-incrimination as he sits for a deposition in her probe into doubtlessly fraudulent asset valuations by his firm. 

“Below the recommendation of my counsel and for all the above causes, I declined to reply the questions beneath the rights and privileges afforded to each citizen beneath the USA Structure,” Trump stated in an emailed assertion launched shortly after he arrived on the legal professional normal’s workplace in New York Metropolis Wednesday morning. “I as soon as requested, ‘In the event you’re harmless, why are you taking the Fifth Modification?’ Now I do know the reply to that query.”

The deposition — which had been delayed a month due to the dying of his former spouse Ivana Trump — comes simply days after Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence was searched by federal brokers investigating whether or not the previous president took labeled paperwork from the White Home.  In a put up on his Reality Social media account, Trump stated his “nice firm, and myself, are being attacked from all sides.” 

Former President Donald Trump speaks throughout the America First Coverage Institute’s America First Agenda Summit in Washington, D.C.

Al Drago/Bloomberg

Trump and two of his youngsters, Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump, agreed to every sit for as many as seven hours of sworn testimony, after dropping a court docket battle to quash the subpoenas. New York Legal professional Common Letitia James is investigating whether or not the Manhattan-based Trump Group manipulated asset valuations to safe extra favorable phrases for financial institution loans and insurance coverage, in addition to tax breaks.

James’s workplace declined to remark Wednesday. 

Eric Trump, the previous president’s son and an government vice chairman on the Trump Group, was deposed by state investigators in 2020 after preventing in court docket to delay the questioning. He invoked his Fifth Modification proper to keep away from incriminating himself greater than 500 instances over six hours, James stated in a submitting earlier this 12 months. 

The previous president was held in contempt of court docket and fined $10,000 a day as a part of the identical investigation after he did not correctly reply to a associated subpoena for paperwork and data in his private possession. Trump resolved the contempt discovering after racking up $110,000 in fines.

The Trump Group has lengthy stated that the investigation by James, a Democrat, is politically motivated, although each try to persuade a choose of that argument has failed. Trump sued James in federal court docket to attempt to block the investigation, alleging her animus towards him was proof that the probe violated his constitutional rights. A choose dismissed the case.

James’s civil investigation is operating alongside a felony probe by Manhattan District Legal professional Alvin Bragg. Bragg’s workplace introduced expenses in opposition to Trump’s firm and its chief monetary officer final 12 months, alleging unpaid taxes. 

— With help from Erik Larson