Former President Donald Trump declined to answer questions on Wednesday during a deposition with the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, asserting his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Trump, who has long accused James of conducting a politically motivated probe into his family’s real estate business, said in a statement Wednesday that he had “absolutely no choice” but to take the Fifth during his under-oath interview with the attorney general’s office.
James is leading an investigation into Trump Organization business practices, examining allegations that the former president’s company misstated asset values on financial documents.
“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question,” Trump said in a statement released by his post-presidential office. “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.”