Trump says he took the Fifth in New York civil investigation

“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.”

If you know you’ll be incriminated by the answers you give, it is not a witch hunt.

I thought only mobsters or guilty people plead the 5th? At least that's what this guy said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMyh7ko9L2g

Well, we (people who care deeply about decency, truth, science, and democracy) can only hope that the three pronged investigation into 45 - Georgia, NY and the FBI - will yield meaningful results, and perhaps shut him down, and as a result silence a good chunk of his braying supporters.

Let's hope.

"If you're not guilty, why would you plead the 5th?" -- Donald J. Trump

"Only guilty people plead the 5th!" -- Donald J. Trump

"I plead the 5th." -- Donald J. Trump

“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.

No one in the history of the Earth since that first fish flipped flopped onto that muddy bank has ever experienced such persecution. Not Nixon, not Clinton...

All those others were criminals, scum, lowlifes for taking the Fifth, but not Trump.

He rises like an Orange Phoenix on the wings of his own contradictions.

New York's investigation is led by James, a Democrat who has said in court filings that her office has uncovered “significant” evidence that Trump’s company misled lenders and tax authorities about the value of prized assets like golf courses and skyscrapers.

Trump should have been jailed in the 90's like his other New York tax-dodging oligarch, Leona Helmsley.

It would have saved the US all this useless drama.

When you have a bloodthirsty AG who’s sole purpose is to politically bury you, why give her an inch?

If you’re innocent, and you want this investigation over with, best thing to do would be cooperate wouldn’t it?

Bass: When you have a bloodthirsty AG who’s sole purpose is to politically bury you, why give her an inch?

Because this is real estate that can be independently appraised and then Trump walks away.

What "bloodthirsty vampire" questions do you think the FBI asked? There aren't any. It's all math.

“He’s also accused James, who is Black, of racism in pursuing the investigation.”

So it’s racist and politically motivated and fake news? He must be the biggliest victim in the history of like all time. Nobody has been so persecuted, like you wouldn’t believe.

How could someone so tough and competent be continually victimised and whining instead of winning?

It just makes no sense!

What crimes did trump commit that he refused to answer questions about?

And the right is still pretending he’s not a criminal. Not particularly intelligent are they.

Surprised he used the 5th here. Seems like the real estate valuation scam could be written off as opinion.

But he did. Which is weird.

Trump, his still lingering Republican enablers and braindead supporters are a national security threat. At some point we need to stop dancing around this reality.

Bass:  You actually think he himself does the appraising? Lol

I don't think you quite get it.

Yes, when Trump applies for a loan he has a duty to report proper valuations. If he values a building at $1 million for taxes then applies for a loan a month later saying it's worth $5 million, that's fraud or some seismic real estate event, which never happened.

In the end it doesn't matter because numbers are numbers. They have his tax info so they have all the pieces ro the puzzle. Either Trump will shown to be innocent or guilty with numbers.

No vampires needed.

He stopped himself from witch-hunting himself? Like he said, if you’re innocent why plead the fifth? If there’s nothing to hide of course.

Looks like Trump and associates are saying any evidence that might be found was planted by the FBI.

And he took the 5th.

Not looking good for him.

He hates the establishment.

The establishment treads on the little people. Trump loves treading on the little people. I hate the establishment for that and I hate Trump for that. Trump might “hate” the establishment but he is certainly no different from the establishment for the little people.

So if he’s found guilty now his loony fans will be claiming the evidence was planted by the feds.

If that’s proven false it’ll have been teleported there by psychic lizards. There’s no stopping the lunacy.

Looks like Trump and associates are saying any evidence that might be found was planted by the FBI.

That is donald preparing his idiot followers for the charges that are coming against him. He stole classified documents and was about to sell them to a foreign power(Russia?).

Similar to how he prepared the same idiot followers for his election loss. He’s hoping for another coup and that is going to bite him!!!

I wonder why?

Could be because he’s a pathological liar who would have committed perjury on the stand double-digit times.

So there’s that.

Bass: I repeat. This was a civil action to determine if Trump made false statements to get loans. One critical detail: No bank filed a complaint.

The government has an interest in the tax situation.

Take my example and reverse it. Trump has a building worth $5 million but on his taxes he claims it's worth a million.

Tax fraud.

They don’t, if they did, it would have been made public already.

They just got the approval to get Trump's taxes a few days ago.

Take the loan docs and the taxes together and the Feds have all the pieces. It doesn't mean Trump is guilty, but it will be proven either way.

New: Trump’s deposition appears to have lasted several hours. He departed 28 Liberty at 3:20pm slumped in a black Secret Service SUV and peered out of the rear window as his motorcade crawled out of an underground garage past onlookers.

ROFL, all his bravado was gone by the time he left, tail between his legs.

What is interesting is ivanka and don jr didn’t plead thr 5th. We know that Ivanka is ready to throw him under the bus, but don jr too, that’s interesting.

I guess the children will do anything to stay out of prison, donald on the other hand is on the fast lane to his cell!!!

They should have used the 25th when he was still president, but still is, yes?

What could be more MAGA-world and Trump....

A guy that ranted that anyone who takes the 5th is a "mobster" and said with a straight face, "if you're not guilty, what have you got to hide"....

Who then confirms for us that he is a mobster, with "yuuuge" reasons to hide, and admits he's guilty under his own definition....

Trump takes the 5th, Eric takes the 5th, Weissellberg takes the 5th, Flynn takes the 5th, Stone takes the 5th, Eastman takes the 5th, Clark takes the 5th....

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-election-lie-allies-stone-eastman-clark-plead-fifth-it-ncna1285754

https://www.businessinsider.com/eric-trump-weisselberg-invoked-5th-amendment-rights-500-times-2022-1

Sure looks and sounds like an organized crime mob...according to a former reality TV host and failed businessman....

There was a large crowd outside trump tower when donald left.

There was one guy in a donald mask, wearing a prison uniform!!!!

Bet that didn’t make donald happy, ROFL!!!

And this is only ONE of 5 or 6 investigations (depending on how one counts).

But I’m sure that is completely a witch hunt, eh? He didn’t do ANYTHING to bring it upon himself, right?

He is so screwed......

The right wing nut job s are threatening Garland, the judge and the FBI. The only good that will come out of this is that we’ll have more of these nut job in prison soon.

Hope they can put them in the same prison as donald.

Following Monday's FBI raid on Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, a former ghostwriter who helped him publish a book over three decades ago alleged that presidential documents and other collector items may have been taken to sell them for profit. Charles Leerhsen, a former executive editor at Sports Illustrated who has written for Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Esquire and The New York Times, made the allegation in a Facebook post published Monday. "As a former Trump ghostwriter I feel obligated to point out that Trump may have taken documents that he intended to sell as presidential memorabilia," wrote Leerhsen,

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-may-have-taken-documents-sell-memorabilia-ghostwriter-1732251

That makes absolute sense to me...just one more con Donald can work to pad his bank account...

He's already fleeced his supporters with about every kind of bamboozle imaginable....now they can buy some Top Secret at Trumpstore.com...

You know you're having a bad week when the Justice Dept confirms it has TWO separate criminal investigations (classified and Jan 6th) ongoing against you, the FBI raids your house, and you're forced to plead the 5th in a totally separate civil case involving tax and insurance fraud...then your once loyal Sec of State volunteers to testify to the Jan 6th committee...

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/08/09/politics/mike-pompeo-january-6-committee/index.html

MAGA-world is imploding...thank goodness...

Sorry I think I made a mistake with the timeline and investigation. It's hard to keep track of them all.

Like I said before I thought the valuation case would be the easiest for him to win but after pleading the 5th and making baseless claims about evidence planting it sure has gotten interesting.

Garland and Wray are getting death threats already and they've increased security. I'm worried some nutjob right winger is going to use this as a call to violence, especially with the GOP's rhetoric.

Let's hope no one gets killed.

So Don had a rat. Imagine someone rolling on him?

Trump’s rubes are gonna vote no matter what.

this motivates people who find him a disgusting lying sociopath (the remaining 65-70% of the population) to vote against him and his sycophantic supporters to vote as well.

And Joe got more done in 2 years than Don would have in 2 terms (if he hadn’t been so resoundingly thrashed, that is).

So yeah, the threats of voter reprisal? Pffff.

Man, those are some tiny tiny hands…

meanwhile DOJ and FBI realizing what a huge mistake they just made

The judge is the one who signed off on the warrant. And Trump taking the fifth? What a coward!!! Hillary didn't take the fifth during Benghazi. And she remained strong from all her haters while Trump is hiding in a cave. And why do Trump people make a big deal about Hillary's emails and private server and they think that Trump was perfectly in his right to take top secret documents with him when he left the WH? What is the difference? No on Hillary's server but yes on Trump keeping too secret docs as a private citizen? What is the difference? Also Hillary was serving at her job with the server (and so did others like Powell) but Trump is now a private citizen.

It appears he doesn’t have it. Even if he did it’s the DOJ and FBI responsibility to release it, not Trump.

lol No, it's not. That would be highly unprofessional to do. As the target of the search warrant, either Trump or his lawyers have the search warrant, and they could release it anytime they wanted to. But they won't and we both know why.

that empty safe is a problem for the FBI warrant.

lol No it isn't. If true, it could be an issue for the criminal case, but not the search warrant.

Did you feel the same when some crazy lefty went over to kill Kavanaugh’s house or that the DOJ claims their too busy to worry about these threats on our SCJ?

Trump and his conservative followers derangement over the so-called "left" from Biden to Mitt Romney has skewed the Overton Window of American political discussion and has had a terrible impact on logical discourse.

No more proof than you have that Trump committed a crime, nope.

lol I think there is a fair bit more proof that Trump committed a crime than your made up story there. I mean, Trump did just exercise his right to avoid self-incrimination, so...

but you know they are biased against trump because you won’t even consider my story.

Because it's a ridiculous story. The judge and head of the FBI have better things to do than play a game of troll the liberals. Furthermore, most people are far more concerned the economy etc., than they are phony stories about Trump being targeted.

FBI and DOJ better have found (or successfully planted) something or some people going to be resigning.

lol That's not how an investigation works. If that were the case, it would be almost impossible to get a search warrant.

“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.”

Very clear explanation.

Very clear hypocrisy. He ranted that only the mob takes the 5th and he then goes and does it 400 times in one setting...

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-set-testify-new-york-investigation_n_62f34924e4b0f9d8c021b2de

Eric still has the Trump hypocrisy record though - he took the 5th 500 times...

https://sports.yahoo.com/eric-trump-pleaded-fifth-more-005458590.html

And the one question that no Trump supporter can answer - Trump and his attorneys were given a copy of the search warrant and a detailed list of everything seized....why hasn't he released it? If wants to show this is a "witch hunt", release all the info on what was taken - lamps...MAGA hats....Top Secret documents...WOOPS! Can't let that out...

What are you hiding Donald?

Why could it not happen like that? Why is it such a fantastical story?

lolol Do you have any proof that's what happened? That copium is strong, mang.

lincolnmanToday  01:32 pm JST

And the one question that no Trump supporter can answer - Trump and his attorneys were given a copy of the search warrant and a detailed list of everything seized....why hasn't he released it? If wants to show this is a "witch hunt", release all the info on what was taken - lamps...MAGA hats....Top Secret documents...WOOPS! Can't let that out...

The FBI and DOJ won't make the search warrant public. And the Justice Department hasn't turned over evidence behind the search warrant.

And just because an item is listed on a search warrant it doesn't mean that item is on the premises that is being searched.

No more proof than you have that Trump committed a crime, nope.

just those 2 guys are Trump appointees that’s how you legitimize them as supposedly being non partisan purveyors or truth and justice, right?

but you know they are biased against trump because you won’t even consider my story.

FBI and DOJ better have found (or successfully planted) something or some people going to be resigning.

The continued pursuit of Trump is politically unwise for the Democrats. They stand to lose more than they could possibly gain from it. Left to his own devices, he would have drifted to the political fringe and TV.

The Democrats are keeping the spotlight on him, allowing him to craft a political identity and message in response to each action. This is easy to paint as a witch hunt. The Republicans will get back in eventually, and may control all branches of the US regime, from the Presidency to the Supreme Court. The more the Democrats pursue Trump now, the more the Republicans will go for them then. Biden needed to reboot America's toxic and divisive political system by setting better precedents, and retiring Trump to the pages of history.

And as for these being non-political, legal actions, the taking down of Roe v Wade has proved beyond all doubt that the US legal system is no more than an extension of the political system.

Bob FosseToday  07:58 am JST

He stopped himself from witch-hunting himself? Like he said, if you’re innocent why plead the fifth? If there’s nothing to hide of course.

That's not how this works.

This article is about a civil matter---so whether or not one takes the fifth, this has nothing to do with a court finding one innocent or not.

Trump says he took the Fifth in New York civil investigation

“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.”

Very clear explanation. Yet most of you still going on and on about his years ago comment that he has already addressed.

trump had learned some hard lessons about people and things that will come in handy in 2024. “Revenge” Trump us gonna be awesome. He was way too nice and trusting last time.

meanwhile DOJ and FBI realizing what a huge mistake they just made.

Trump and his attorneys were given a copy of the search warrant and a detailed list of everything seized....

It appears he doesn’t have it. Even if he did it’s the DOJ and FBI responsibility to release it, not Trump.

it it were actually “damming” it would have been given to CNN as the raid was happening. Media filed a claim to get it and judge said they have to wait until 15th at least.

that empty safe is a problem for the FBI warrant.

The government has an interest in the tax situation. 

All of a sudden

Take my example and reverse it. Trump has a building worth $5 million but on his taxes he claims it's worth a million.

Tax fraud.

Again, we don’t know all the details, but if this James woman had all the proof and solid evidence to back up that theory then he would be already getting his checkbook out.

They just got the approval to get Trump's taxes a few days ago.

And his lawyers are getting an injunction to halt the unsealing of them

Take the loan docs and the taxes together and the Feds have all the pieces. It doesn't mean Trump is guilty, but it will be proven either way

We shall see.

Donald 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, the former president said in a statement.

Excellent--at least someone is exercising their Constitutional rights.

Loony Democrats who are getting in hysterics about Russia's actions in Ukraine are at the same time silent as this administration mimics Russia in becoming a centralized power, while at the same time touting its Bill of Rights.

How about this story?

trump appointed Director Wray and Trump appointed judge don’t tell the DOJ or the White House anything.

they set up a raid under false pretenses that they know won’t find anything. Thereby making a martyr of Trump and helping Republicans in 2022 and Trump get re-elected in 2024. Great!

if there was an informer, why was the safe they opened empty? To open it, the warrant (which we still don’t have) and the probable cause (which is “sealed) would have identified something being in there. What were they expecting to find in melania’s underwear drawer?!

so many questions, yet silence. Except for whining they are getting “threats” after what they unjustifiably did. They got real quiet once they heard the security cams were actually still on, not off as they demanded.

Why could it not happen like that? Why is it such a fantastical story? Happened similar with the FISA court and the fake dossier.

oh! because you already know the FBI and judge are biased against Trump. That’s why it couldn’t happen.

oops.

Libs made a big deal out of the “trump appointed” Wray and the “trump appointed” judge to claim it simply most be legitimate what was done.

So how can be soooooo sure they aren’t helping trump to create a scandal that makes Garland and Biden have to resign in disgrace?

these 2 are Trump’s guys, right?? Surely they didn’t tell the White House of their plan to help Trump! (WH confirmed they didn’t know, right?)

Libs have no response for this.

exactly! All the lib media is like this:

they would never have a warrant without probable cause. A judge would never sign it. A prosecutor would never misrepresent evidence. A raid would never be done if they didn’t know exactly what they would find already. (Safe was empty). The FBI and DOJ would never be politically motivated.FBI would never plant evidence.

Conclusion: so there must be something!

yet in the last 5 years, all of those “never” things confirmed as happened.

Looks like Trump and associates are saying any evidence that might be found was planted by the FBI.

Possible

And he took the 5th.

unrelated

Not looking good for him.

You mean not looking good for the DOJ and Garland in particular.

ROFL, all his bravado was gone by the time he left, tail between his legs.

Why would anyone in their right mind allow a bloodthirsty DA who’s basic mission is to crush you play her game and put himself into a noose. Put the hate aside and think. If she wants to get him, get the goods and go for it, but Trump would be foolish to help this woman trying to hang him.

What is interesting is ivanka and don jr didn’t plead thr 5th. We know that Ivanka is ready to throw him under the bus, but don jr too, that’s interesting.

You have absolutely no way of knowing that, you’re projecting again. Give it up. Even James doesn’t know this

I guess the children will do anything to stay out of prison, donald on the other hand is on the fast lane to his cell!!!

Naw, he won’t go to prison none of them will, but if he is convicted doubt it but remains to be seen here, he might have to get that checkbook out and write a lot of zeros.

NemoToday  09:44 am JST

And this is only ONE of 5 or 6 investigations (depending on how one counts). 

But I’m sure that is completely a witch hunt, eh? He didn’t do ANYTHING to bring it upon himself, right? 

He is so screwed......

The Democratic party, with the assistance of thr FBI, has endorsed Trump for the Republican Party president nominee.

Thank you Dems!

ROFL, their frantic and feverish acts is what is leading donald down the prison path!! 

The chance of Trump going to prison would be equal to Hillary joining him.

I have a way to know that, don’t doubt it

No, and you know it, that’s why the man pleaded the 5th, dude…

She already has, sorry to disappoint you!

She didn’t, nothing to be disappointed about. Again, if they had anything on Trump, he would have been convicted already, they have squat, he knows it and they know it.

Hilary is very much alive and having the time of her life.

Planning to buy a ‘but her emails’ tshirt, you should too.

Yeah, that’s going to flop real fast

Tell that to your right wing masters.

They’re not the ones frantically and feverishly trying to imprison this former President, wrong party.

Don’t worry don jr and Ivanka will do that.

You have know way of know that. Doubt it.

Ivanka admitted she didn’t, unless you say she’s lying!

I am not saying anything. Again, slow down, control the hate, it blinds you, the woman is not going to throw her father under a bus, no child would. And if the Dems want any sliver of hope as to remaining a viable party in the current future they really need to stop with the power abuse because after November when they start getting investigated they’re going to regret a lot of this.

Thry are all turning on each other, so the question is who turned first, ROFL!

None of this is funny, I hated Hillary with a passion but I wasn’t gleeful about her demise, I just thought her hatred for the deplorable is what cost her the job at the WH

Garland and Wray are getting death threats already and they've increased security.

I hope you’re not surprised.

I'm worried some nutjob right winger is going to use this as a call to violence, especially with the GOP's rhetoric. 

Did you feel the same when some crazy lefty went over to kill Kavanaugh’s house or that the DOJ claims their too busy to worry about these threats on our SCJ? Barrett got threats so bad she had to take her kids out of school. Any thoughts on Democrats rhetoric? Seriously, I’m just curious.

Let's hope no one gets killed.

Well, that goes for everyone, but I know you fully agree with me on that.

And this is only ONE of 5 or 6 investigations (depending on how one counts). 

Yeah, he’s so used to that.

But I’m sure that is completely a witch hunt, eh? He didn’t do ANYTHING to bring it upon himself, right? 

He is so screwed......

Yeah, yeah…Dems have been saying that since 2015

The right wing nut job s are threatening Garland, the judge and the FBI.

Yes, Garland and Wrey need to come in to Congress and answer questions

The only good that will come out of this is that we’ll have more of these nut job in prison soon.

After November, you just might be right.

I am talking about,why you love Trump,

He hates the establishment.

if you love him ,that nothing wrong with that,

Oh, I know that.

everybody are entitled too love ,who they love,but be honest about it

Always

I don't think you quite get it.

I do, very much so.

Yes, when Trump applies for a loan he has a duty to report proper valuations. If he values a building at $1 million for taxes then applies for a loan a month later saying it's worth $5 million, that's fraud or some seismic real estate event, which never happened.

I repeat. This was a civil action to determine if Trump made false statements to get loans. One critical detail: No bank filed a complaint.

In the end it doesn't matter because numbers are numbers. They have his tax info so they have all the pieces ro the puzzle.

They don’t, if they did, it would have been made public already.

Either Trump will shown to be innocent or guilty with numbers.

Pleading the 5th makes James’s job just that much harder.

No vampires needed.

Yup

Because this is real estate that can be independently appraised and then Trump walks away. 

And? You actually think he himself does the appraising? Lol

What "bloodthirsty vampire" questions do you think the FBI asked? There aren't any. It's all math.

Yeah, liberals keep saying that.

https://youtu.be/D1yj0NKSsuU

Good that he took the 5th

But he did. Which is weird.

When you have a bloodthirsty AG who’s sole purpose is to politically bury you, why give her an inch?