Donald Trump to answer questions in New York fraud case, Chicago Tribune lawyer says

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NEW YORK — Former President Donald Trump arrived at the New York attorney general’s offices Thursday for his second deposition in a legal battle over his company’s business practices, with his lawyer signaling that he intends to answer the questions this time instead of invoking his Fifth Amendment protection against himself.

President Trump is not only ready but eager to testify before the Attorney General today, his attorney, Alina Habba, said in a statement. He remains resolute in his stance that he has nothing to hide, and he looks forward to educating the Attorney General about the massive success of his multi-billion dollar company.

The Republican is meeting with lawyers for Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump last year. His lawsuit claims that Trump and his family misled banks and business partners by giving them false information about his net worth and the value of assets such as hotels and golf courses.

The suit is unrelated to the felony criminal charges filed against Trump by the Manhattan district attorney, which led last week to his historic arraignment, the first for a former president.

In a post on social media Thursday morning, Trump called the suit, like all the other Election Interference charges brought against him, ridiculous.

He raised his fist as he left his Trump Tower apartment, with his motorcade arriving at the attorney generals office around 9:42 a.m.

James declined to answer a question about the deposition at a news conference on an unrelated matter Wednesday.

Trump previously met with James’ lawyers on August 10, but refused to answer all but a few procedural questions, invoking his Fifth Amendment rights more than 400 times. At the time, James had not yet charged him and it was unclear whether questions about the way Trump valued his company would form the basis of a criminal case.

Anyone in my position who would not take the Fifth Amendment would be a fool, an absolute fool, he said in that deposition, which was recorded on video and later released to the public. Trump predicted that a renegade prosecutor would try to make a criminal case out of his answers, if he gave them.

A statement or answer that is so small, just once, by accident, by accident, like it’s a sunny, beautiful day, when it’s actually a little overcast, will be greeted by law enforcement at a level rarely seen. in this country, because I experienced it, he said.

Things have changed since then. The criminal charges brought by the Manhattan district attorney focus on how the company considered payments to a lawyer, Michael Cohen, for his work paying people not to go public with the stories. about the extramarital affairs that Trump allegedly had.

The case brought by James is scheduled to go to trial in October.

Thursday’s deposition will be held in private.

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