that's a lot of times
Trump reportedly pleaded the Fifth over 400 times during deposition with N.Y. AG
And the Donald Trump news cycle continues.
The former president invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination over 440 times during a Wednesday deposition before lawyers for New York Attorney General Letitia James' office, which is conducting a probe into the Trump Organization's business practices, NBC News reports, per a source close to the situation.
"I once asked, 'If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?'" Trump wrote in a statement, per NBC News. "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."
James' office is investigating whether the Trump Organization illegally inflated the value of its assets. A spokesperson for the AG later confirmed the former president had taken the Fifth but did not detail the number of times, NBC News reports.
Per Trump attorney Ron Fischetti, the only question Trump answered was about his name. The former president was otherwise asked about "the valuations of various items and golf clubs, signing documents, mortgages, loans and the size of his apartment," and pleaded the Fifth for all of those inquiries, NBC News summarizes, per Fischetti.
The deposition comes only days after FBI agents executed a search warrant at Trump's Florida mansion, in what is believed to be part of a separate investigation into Trump's handling of classified White House documents.