NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump was scheduled to visit the New York attorney general’s offices Thursday for his second deposition in a legal battle over his company’s business practices.
The Republican was expected to meet with lawyers for Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump last year. His lawsuit alleges that Trump and his family defrauded banks and business associates by providing them with false information about his net worth and the value of assets such as hotels and golf courses.
The lawsuit is unrelated to the felony charges brought against Trump by the Manhattan district attorney that led to his historic indictment last week, the first for a former president.
Trump and his lawyers have said the Democrat’s lawsuit against him is politically motivated and has no legal basis. He and the company have denied any wrongdoing. James declined to answer a question about the expected filing at a press conference on an unrelated matter Wednesday.
Trump previously met with James’ lawyers on August 10, but he refused to answer all but procedural questions, invoking the Fifth Amendment’s protection against self-incrimination more than 400 times.
“Anyone in my position who doesn’t accept the Fifth Amendment would be a fool, a real fool,” he said during the session, which was filmed and later released publicly. Trump predicted a “renegade” prosecutor would try to turn his answers into a criminal case if he provided them.
“A claim or answer as easy, even as easy, by chance, by mistake, as a beautiful sunny day when in reality it was slightly overcast, would rarely have been well received by law enforcement at any level. seen in this country, because I experienced it,” he said.
A trial for the trial is scheduled for October.
It is unclear whether Trump can answer questions in his second deposition, which will take place in private if he goes ahead as planned.
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