China News Agency, New York, August 10 (Reporter Wang Fan) Former US President Trump arrived at the office of New York State Attorney General Letitia James on the 10th to accept the investigation and evidence collection of New York prosecutors.
The Trump office said in a statement that Trump invoked the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution after he testified under oath and declined to answer questions.
According to the Associated Press, Trump took a car from Trump Tower in New York City to Zhan Lexia’s office that day to testify around New York prosecutors’ civil investigation into the Trump Organization’s business practices.
Since 2019, James' office has been investigating whether the Trump Organization has inflated the valuations of golf course and skyscraper properties and used "fraudulent or misleading" valuations to obtain economic benefits such as loans, insurance and tax breaks Benefit.
According to the report, the investigation is now at its most critical moment.
Previously, investigators said they had amassed a trove of evidence to support legal action against Trump or the Trump Organization or both.
On the same day, the Trump office issued a statement saying that Trump invoked the Fifth Amendment during his testimony and refused to answer relevant questions, emphasizing that this is a constitutional right of every citizen.
Under the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, no one may be compelled to testify against himself.
The statement also linked the New York prosecutors' investigation to the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago on the 8th, saying the actions of James' office were part of a larger conspiracy against Trump.
The New York Times said Trump invoked the Fifth Amendment and refused to answer questions, and there should be other considerations.
Although Zhan Lexia's office has the right to conduct civil investigations, it cannot bring criminal charges.
He chose not to answer questions, possibly hoping to block a new avenue of investigation in the Manhattan district attorney's criminal investigation.
The criminal investigation conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney is largely the same as the civil investigation by James Lexia's office.
Last week, two of Trump's children, Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., completed their testimony on the civil investigation of the Trump Organization by James' office.
Instead of invoking the Fifth Amendment, Trump Jr. chose to answer questions from prosecutors, according to people familiar with the matter.
However, their testimony was not made public because the forensics process was conducted behind closed doors.
(Finish)