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."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.
-
Today's political cartoons - January 18, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - Bondi on the Bible, climate change, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 Senate-approved cartoons on the Trump confirmation hearings
Cartoons Artists take on non-answers, drunken rhetoric, and more
By The Week US Published
-
The best new cars for 2025
The Week Recommends From family SUVs to luxury all-electrics these are the most hotly anticipated vehicles
By The Week UK Published
-
Will auto safety be diminished in Trump's second administration?
Today's Big Question The president-elect has reportedly considered scrapping a mandatory crash-reporting rule
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
DeSantis appoints Florida's top lawyer to US Senate
Speed Read The state's attorney general, Ashley Moody, will replace Sen. Marco Rubio in the Senate
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
As DNC chair race heats up, what's at stake for Democrats?
IN THE SPOTLIGHT Desperate to bounce back after their 2024 drubbing, Democrats look for new leadership at the dawn of a second Trump administration
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'Democrats have many electoral advantages'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Five things Biden will be remembered for
The Explainer Key missteps mean history may not be kind to the outgoing US president
By Elliott Goat, The Week UK Published
-
'A good deal is one in which everyone walks away happy or everyone walks away mad'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Pam Bondi downplays politics at confirmation hearing
Speed Read Trump's pick for attorney general claimed her Justice Department would not prosecute anyone for political reasons
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Biden warns of oligarchy in farewell address
Speed Read The president issued a stark warning about the dangers of unchecked power in the hands of the ultra-wealthy
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published