Six Hours Examined By New York Attorney General, Donald Trump Refuses To Answer Questions

Donald Trump. (Wikimedia Commons/The White House)

JAKARTA - Former United States President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he refused to answer questions during his appearance before the New York State Attorney General in a civil investigation into his family's business practices, citing his constitutional right not to incriminate himself.

Trump, his son Donald Trump Jr. and his daughter Ivanka Trump have sought to evade testimony in state Attorney General Letitia James's investigation into whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values to secure profitable loans, understated asset values for tax breaks.

"I refuse to answer questions under the (Fifth Amendment) privileges granted to every citizen under the United States Constitution," Trump said in a statement issued about an hour after he arrived in a motorcade at the prosecutor's office, as quoted from Reuters on August 11.

The Fifth Amendment to the Constitution protects against self-incrimination. Trump's decision not to answer questions could still have consequences. If the investigation leads to a trial, the jury may consider his silence. Politically, it could also give opponents ammunition about whether Trump has anything to hide as he considers running for the 2024 presidential election.

James said his investigation had found significant evidence that the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses, and other real estates, provided banks and tax authorities with misleading financial information for a profit.

Trump left his office about six hours after arriving, suggesting he's faced questions for most of the day. In a social media post, Trump called it a "very professional meeting." Meanwhile, a spokesman for the New York attorney general's office said in a statement that James participated in the deposition and confirmed that Trump exercised his Fifth Amendment rights.

"Prosecutor General James will pursue facts and law wherever they lead," the spokesperson added. "Our investigation continues."

Trump, a Republican, in his statement again denied any wrongdoing and sought to portray the investigation of James, a Democrat, as part of years of revenge against him.

He also sought to link James' investigation to Monday's FBI search of his Florida home, Mar-a-Lago, which represented an escalation of the federal investigation into whether he illegally removed records from the White House when he left office in January 2021.

"I once asked, 'If you're innocent, why did you take the Fifth Amendment?'" Trump said. "Now I know the answer to that question."

Trump added, "When your family, your company, and everyone around you has become the target of a baseless and politically motivated 'Witch Hunt' endorsed by lawyers, prosecutors, and the Fake News Media, you have no choice."

In the statement, Trump also made disparaging comments about James and violent crimes in New York State.

Trump agreed in June to testify in the three-year investigation after a court rejected his arguments that he did not have to testify because the investigation was politically motivated.

His lawyers also argued that Trump's words could be unfairly used against him in a related criminal investigation led by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, in which James was also involved.

Two of the main prosecutors in the case resigned in March, with one saying Bragg was skeptical of bringing charges against Trump. A Bragg spokesman said Wednesday that the criminal investigation was continuing.

Donald Trump Jr. and Ivanka Trump have also testified in recent weeks in James' investigation, according to a person familiar with the matter. Reuters could not determine whether they declined to answer questions. Meanwhile, their brother Eric Trump filed the Fifth Amendment more than 500 times while testifying in 2020.