Donald Trump invokes Fifth Amendment under oath in New York civil investigation he calls ‘Witch Hunt’

Donald Trump said he once questioned why anybody would plead the Fifth Amendment. the former president said he now has his answer.

Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath Wednesday in the New York attorney general’s long-running civil investigation into his business dealings.

Trump “declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution.”

“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question,” the statement said. “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.”

As vociferous as Trump has been in defending himself in written statements and on the rally stage, legal experts – per The Associated Press – said answering questions in a deposition was risky because anything he said could potentially be used against him in a parallel criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney.

The Fifth Amendment protects people from being compelled to be witnesses against themselves in a criminal case.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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