Video shows Donald Trump asserting Fifth Amendment right in deposition in NY AG's civil fraud case

Newly released video showed former President Donald Trump being questioned under oath in August 2022 for the massive civil fraud lawsuit filed against him, his businesses and his three oldest children by the New York Attorney General's Office.

After answering preliminary questions from New York Attorney General Letitia James, Trump used an introductory statement to characterize the investigation as a "witch hunt," an accusation he has repeated since the case was filed last year.

The video confirmed that Trump used much of the deposition to invoke his Fifth Amendment right not to answer questions on grounds that he might incriminate himself. Trump said anyone in his position who did not take the Fifth "would be a fool, an absolute fool," according to CBS News, which first obtained the video.

At the time of the deposition in August of last year, the New York Times reported that Trump repeatedly asserted his Fifth Amendment right in response to the questioning.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Video shows Donald Trump asserting Fifth Amendment in NY AG fraud case