US media report that former President Donald Trump has declined to answer questions as part of a New York state investigation into his family’s business practices. Mr. Trump had sued in an effort to block the interview at the New York attorney general’s office yesterday.
State officials accuse the Trump Organization of misleading authorities about the value of its assets in order to get favourable loans and tax breaks. Mr Trump denies wrongdoing and has called the civil probe a witch hunt. In a statement, the former President criticized New York Attorney General Letitia James and the broader investigation. The Attorney General’s office confirmed that the interview took place on Wednesday and Mr Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
The deposition comes just days after the FBI executed an unprecedented search warrant at his Florida estate, Mar-a-Lago, as part of a separate investigation that is reportedly linked to his handling of classified material.
