Former President Donald Trump says he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights to avoid answering questions during a deposition.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to speak out against New York Attorney General Letitia James’s “with hunt.”
The former president argued, “This political attack on me, my family, and my great company is her despicable attempt to fulfill that cynical, and very corrupt promise.”
Trump called James a “failed politician who has intentionally colluded with others to carry out this phony years-long crusade that has wasted countless taxpayer dollars, all in an effort to prop up her political career.”
The statement went on to suggest that James’ actions in the last three years “is a disgrace to the legal system, an affront to New York State taxpayers, and a violation of the solemn rights and protections afforded by the United States Constitution.”
Read the statement below:
NEW: Former president Trump says he invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during his deposition with @NewYorkStateAG’s office pic.twitter.com/NQ0gUyCc4U
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) August 10, 2022
According to Trump, the “United States Constitution exists for this very purpose, and I will utilize it to the fullest extent to defend myself against this malicious attack by this administration, this Attorney General’s office, and all other attacks on my family, my business, and our Country.”
Later in his statement, Trump shared he now knows the answer to the question of why someone would invoke the Fifth Amendment if they are innocent.
“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,” Trump said.
Concluding the statement, Trump added, “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.”
NBC News noted James’ office is weighing whether to file a civil suit against the former president and his company.
The office claimed it has “uncovered substantial evidence establishing numerous misrepresentations” in Trump’s financial statements,” as NBC News reported citing court filings.
