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Exclusive: Video of Trump deposition
Newly released video obtained by CBS News provides the archetypal look astatine erstwhile President Donald Trump's deposition past summertime successful the New York lawyer general's civilian fraud investigation.
Trump sat for questioning nether oath connected Aug. 10, and the video shows him politely answering the opening questions from authorities Attorney General Letitia James.
Wearing a acheronian bluish suit, reddish necktie and American emblem lapel pin, sitting successful beforehand of a camera successful a downtown Manhattan league room, Trump answered "yes" erstwhile asked by James if helium was acquainted with the rules for giving a deposition. But arsenic the questioning astir his finances began successful earnest, the erstwhile president—and present campaigner for that aforesaid office—invoked the Fifth Amendment and continued to bash truthful for astir 4 hours.
Former President Donald Trump astatine his deposition successful a New York fraud investigation, Aug. 10, 2022.
New York Attorney General's Office / Obtained by CBS News
Transcripts of portions of Trump's deposition were included arsenic an grounds filed by the New York Attorney General's Office connected Oct. 13 successful its $250 cardinal lawsuit against Trump, 3 of his children and his company. Those sections of Trump's deposition were nary longer confidential erstwhile the grounds was filed. That bureau initially denied CBS News' request, nether New York's Freedom of Information Law, for video that aligned with those transcript portions. An appeals serviceman reversed that decision.
"Anything you accidental successful this introspection whitethorn beryllium utilized successful a civilian proceeding, and that tin see a civilian enforcement proceeding oregon a transgression action. Do you recognize that?" James asked.
"I think," Trump replied.
"Is that yes?" James asked.
"I don't cognize what I did wrong, but the reply is yes, I bash understand," Trump said.
"You person the close to garbage to reply immoderate question if a truthful reply to the question would thin to incriminate you. Do you recognize that?" James continued.
"Yes," Trump replied.
"And immoderate willful misstatement by you whitethorn represent perjury. Do you recognize that, sir?"
"Yes."
Once the preliminary questions wrapped up, Trump was fixed an accidental to work a prepared connection into the record.
He began with a acquainted refrain: "This is the top witch hunt successful the past of our country." He called James "a renegade and retired of power prosecutor" and accused her of having governmental motives for her office's probe into his fiscal practices.
Just implicit a period later, connected Sept. 21, James announced her office's lawsuit against Trump, 3 of his children and his company, accusing them of a long-running strategy to inflate the worth of their properties. The Trumps person denied wrongdoing.
"This full happening is precise unfair," Trump says successful the deposition video.
"Anyone successful my presumption not taking the Fifth Amendment would beryllium a fool, an implicit fool," Trump said, adding that connected the proposal of counsel, "I respectfully diminution to reply the questions nether the rights and privileges afforded to each national nether the United States Constitution.
"This volition beryllium my reply to immoderate further questions."
Senior enforcement counsel Kevin Wallace, of the lawyer general's office, noted "for the record" that the connection was "lengthy," and that "obviously, we disagree with a batch of the characterizations." Wallace past began his questioning, which would comprise the bulk of the deposition.
At the outset, Trump responded to 3 questions by saying, "For each of the reasons provided successful my answer, which is incorporated herein successful its entirety, I diminution to reply the question."
Wallace past told Trump helium could conscionable say, "same answer" — "to velocity things up."
Trump did truthful much than 400 times during the people of the afloat interview, according to according to a New York Attorney General tribunal filing. After the deposition concluded, Trump issued a nationalist statement saying that helium had exercised his Fifth Amendment close and refused to answer.
During 1 conception of questioning, Wallace asked Trump astir his Statements of Financial Condition, submitted each twelvemonth since 2011. In February 2022, the accounting steadfast that prepared them recanted its enactment and said those reports "should nary longer beryllium relied upon."
"The valuations contained successful this papers bespeak mendacious and misleading valuation statements; is that correct?" Wallace asked.
"Same answer," Trump replied.
Was helium "aware" they "contained mendacious and misleading statements"?
"Same answer."
Even arsenic helium replied "same answer" to question aft question, Trump appeared to survey fiscal documents presented to him by Wallace, crossing his arms, leaning guardant and looking.
Wallace besides asked astir the engagement of erstwhile Trump Organization main fiscal serviceman Allen Weisselberg — present serving a five-month jailhouse sentence for taxation fraud — and existent institution comptroller Jeffrey McConney.
The 2 executives were among those named arsenic defendants successful the New York lawyer general's $250 cardinal lawsuit, which seeks to kneecap the company's operations successful the state. The suit accuses the Trumps and their institution of engaging successful a yearslong wide fraud strategy revolving astir spot worth manipulations. In summation to fiscal penalties, the lawyer general's bureau is seeking an extremity to the company's operations successful New York and sanctions connected the 4 Trumps.
"From astatine slightest 2005 done the present, you've had an ongoing statement with Mr. Weisselberg and Mr. McConney that they would hole the Statement of Financial Condition successful a mode that included valuations that depended connected mendacious and misleading assumptions arsenic a means of inflating reported values; is that correct?" Wallace asked successful the deposition. The institution has denied the New York Attorney General's allegations against it and immoderate of its executives.
"Same answer," Trump said.
McConney and Weisselberg were the cardinal witnesses successful a abstracted transgression lawsuit against 2 Trump Organization companies, brought by the Manhattan territory attorney. A assemblage past period convicted the companies of 17 counts related to taxation fraud, stemming from a assortment of schemes to trim payroll liability portion giving executives ample tax-free bonuses and high-end untaxed perks. Weisselberg separately entered a guilty plea successful the case.
The New York lawyer general's civilian lawsuit is scheduled to spell to proceedings connected Oct. 2. The justice successful that lawsuit has rejected repeated attempts by Trump attorneys to propulsion that day back.
Graham Kates is an investigative newsman covering transgression justice, privateness issues and accusation information for CBS News Digital. Contact Graham astatine KatesG@cbsnews.com oregon grahamkates@protonmail.com
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