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| Photo Credit: AP. |
Former President Donald Trump Wednesday refused to provide answers at an investigation by New York Attorney General Latitia James into his business dealings, choosing instead to plead the 5th Amendment.
The former president
arrived at the New York attorney general’s office shortly before 9 a.m. in a
multi-vehicle motorcade, according to The Washington Times.
Why did Trump invoke the 5th amendment?
Mr. Trump
said he invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination because he
was facing “a renegade and out-of-control prosecutor,” The Washington Times
reported.
“This is a
vindictive and self-serving fishing expedition,” Mr. Trump said in a statement,
according to The Washington Times. “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.”
New York Attorney General Latitia is a "racist" - Trump
Trump who
described James as a “racist” said in his Wednesday statement, “I once asked,
‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ 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.”
Why the FBI raid at Trump's Florida Mar-a-Lago home?
On Monday
FBI agents raided the Florida estate of former Trump over classified records
which the agency believes Mr. Trump may have taken from the White House.
FBI agents
entered the Mar-a-Lago estate as part of an investigation into whether Mr.
Trump took classified documents to his Florida residence, The Associated Press
quoted people familiar with the matter.
“If there
was any question in my mind, the raid of my home, Mar-a-Lago, on Monday by the
FBI, just two days prior to this deposition, wiped out any uncertainty,” he
said, according to The Washington Times. “I have absolutely no choice because
the current administration and many prosecutors in this country have lost all
moral and ethical bounds of decency.”
“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,” Mr. Trump said.
Why is New York Attorney General Latitia James investigating Trump's business dealings?
Attorney
General James launched a civil investigation into allegations that Trump’s
company, the Trump Organization, misstated the value of prized assets like golf
courses and skyscrapers, misleading lenders and tax authorities, The Associated
Press reports.
“My great
company, and myself, are being attacked from all sides,” Trump added. “Banana Republic!,”
Trump a day before his disposition.
In May,
James’ office said it was concluding its probe, adding investigators had
amassed “substantial evidence” that could support legal action such as a
lawsuit, against Trump, and his company or both, according to The Associated
Press.
James, a
Democrat, said in court filings that her office has uncovered “significant”
evidence that Trump’s company “used fraudulent or misleading asset valuations
to obtain a host of economic benefits, including loans, insurance coverage, and
tax deductions,” according to The Associated Press.
James also
alleges the Trump Organization exaggerated the value of its holdings to impress
lenders or misstated what land was worth to slash its tax burden, pointing to
annual financial statements given to banks to secure favorable loan terms and
to financial magazines to justify Trump’s place among the world’s billionaires,
The Associated Press reported.
James’
office also said the company exaggerated the size of Trump’s Manhattan
penthouse, saying it was nearly three times its actual size – a difference in
value of about $200 million.