Donald Trump Takes the Fifth in NY Deposition

Donald Trump sat for a deposition with the NY Attorney General's office and took the fifth on every single question.

NBC News reports

An attorney for Trump said the former president answered only one question, about his name.

Former President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination Wednesday during a deposition before lawyers from New York Attorney General Letitia James' office in its probe into the Trump Organization's business practices.

The deposition lasted four hours, and the only question the former president answered was about his name, Trump attorney Ron Fischetti told NBC News.

"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. Accordingly, 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."

A spokesperson for the attorney general's office later confirmed Trump had invoked the Fifth Amendment.

“While we will not comment on specific details, we can confirm that today, our office conducted a deposition of former president Donald Trump," the spokesperson said in a statement. "Attorney General Letitia James took part in the deposition during which Mr. Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination."

Fischetti, who attended the deposition along with fellow Trump attorney Alina Habba, said Kevin Wallace of the New York Attorney General's Office conducted all of the questioning and that James was there for about two hours.

James’ office is considering whether to file a civil suit against Trump and his company and has said in court filings that it has “uncovered substantial evidence establishing numerous misrepresentations” in Trump’s financial statements to banks, insurers and the IRS.

The financial statements were inflated by hundreds of millions of dollars and signed off on by the former president, James has alleged.

Trump was asked Wednesday about the valuations of various items and golf clubs, signing documents, mortgages, loans and the size of his apartment, Fischetti said, noting he took the fifth on every question.