Today (Aug. 10), Former President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to answer questions pertaining to a civil investigation about his businesses in New York. The former host of NBC’s television series “The Apprentice” recently arrived in New York City to give a statement under oath at the offices of AG Letitia James. Instead, he released a message saying he would not be complying.
“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question,” Trump wrote. The 76-year-old continued, “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.” He 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.”
Trump, who once indicated innocent people don't plead the Fifth, defends doing so while sitting with lawyers from New York Attorney General Letitia James' office. "I once asked, 'If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?' Now I know the answer to that question." pic.twitter.com/xdUck1GiED
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) August 10, 2022
As previously reported by REVOLT, Trump’s estate in Mar-a-Lago, Florida was raided by the FBI on Aug. 8. The operation was conducted to locate boxes of White House records reportedly stored at Trump’s residence instead of the National Archives. Some of the documents were said to be classified. At the time, the former president said, “My beautiful home, Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents.”
According to CNBC, James began her investigation of Trump due to allegations of falsified financial reports regarding real estate assets. Two of the former reality star’s children, Donald Jr., 44, and Ivanka, 40, testified under oath last week regarding the case. The outlet adds that another one of Trump’s adult children, Eric, invoked his Fifth Amendment right under oath over 500 times in October 2020.