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Donald Trump refuses to answer questions by AG James, claims he ‘did nothing wrong’
By Kevin Sheehan and Sam Raskin August 10, 2022 9:54am Updated

Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he refused to answer questions from New York prosecutors — led by State Attorney General Letitia James — about his resort and real estate businesses.

“I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution,” Trump said in a statement, referring to the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?'” Trump said. “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.”

Trump wrote that the FBI’s Monday raid of his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. — reportedly a search for presidential records that may contain classified information — “wiped out any uncertainty” about whether to cooperate.

The ex-commander-in-chief showed up at a parking garage in the lower Manhattan building where one of James’ offices is located just before 9 a.m., rolling up in one of several black SUVs that escorted him.

Trump said in an extended statement afterward that James “openly campaigned on the policy of ‘Get and Destroy Trump.'”

“James developed a political platform and made a career out of maliciously attacking me and my business before she was even elected, or reviewed one of the millions of pages of documents we willingly produced,” the ex-president said.

“We cannot permit a renegade and out-of-control prosecutor to use this investigation as a means of advancing her political career.”

Trump added, “I did nothing wrong, which is why, after five years of looking, the Federal, State and local governments, together with the Fake News Media, have found nothing.”

The former president departed Trump Tower at 8:34 a.m. for 28 Liberty St. as a helicopter trailed him and his multi-car caravan.

The arrival followed reports Tuesday that Trump would be grilled as part of a probe into the Trump Organization.

In a social media post, the 76-year-old Floridian confirmed the meeting, while moaning the probe is a “witch hunt” and claiming James is a “racist.”

James says her office has evidence that Trump’s company used “fraudulent or misleading” valuations of its buildings, golf clubs and other assets to obtain loans and tax breaks.

Eric Trump, the former president’s son and a Trump Organization executive, defended his father on Truth Social.

“As my father sits for a deposition in front of the most corrupt New York Attorney General in the United States (Letitia James), I want to remind all all (sic) Americans EXACTLY who this evil woman is,” he seethed.

“The weaponization of the legal system – everything you are seeing – it is all a coordinated effort to stop what they know will happen in 2024.”

Reps for the AG did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The deposition follows years of delays, lawsuits and appeals in connection to the investigation — launched in 2019 based on the sworn testimony of former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen.

James recently postponed depositions for Trump and his adult children following the July passing of Ivana Trump. Ivanka and Donald Jr. have since been deposed.

The Trump Organization’s finances are also the subject of a probe conducted by Manhattan prosecutors.

The former president is facing a slew of legal troubles.

The Department of Justice is also investigating Trump’s role in attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election and his culpability in the violent Jan 6., 2021, Capitol riot.

Meanwhile, Georgia prosecutors are mulling subpoenaing Trump in connection with an election fraud inquiry in the Peach State.

Trump has denied all accusations of wrongdoing as he considers launching a White House bid for the third consecutive presidential cycle.

https://nypost.com/2022/08/10/donald-trump-arrives-to-be-grilled-by-ag-james/