Former US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he refused to answer questions during an appearance before the New York state attorney general as part of a civil investigation into the business practices of the Trump Organization.
“I refused to answer questions under the rights and privileges that the Constitution of the United States grants to every citizen,” he said in a statement referring to the Fifth Amendment.
New York Attorney General Letitia James is investigating whether the Trump Organization inflated real estate values. Trump and two of his adult children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, avoided testifying but did.
Late Tuesday, Trump said in a post on his Truth Social app that he would see the New York attorney general on Wednesday.
“Seeing the racist attorney general of New York tomorrow, for the continuation of the largest Witch Hunt in the history of the United States! My big company, and myself, are being attacked from all sides. Banana Republic!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social late Tuesday.
James said his investigation uncovered significant evidence that the Trump Organization, which manages hotels, golf courses and other real estate, overstated its asset values to obtain favorable loans and understated values to obtain tax breaks.
Trump denies wrongdoing and called the New York investigation political.
Separately, the FB searched Trump’s home in Florida on Monday, escalating the federal investigation into whether the former president illegally removed records and documents from the White House when he left office in January 2021.
