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Donald Trump returned to Manhattan to be deposed a second time as part of the civil demand of 250 million dollars from the state of New York that accuses the former president of manipulating the value of his assets for years to deceive banks and insurers.
Trump arrived at 9:41 a.m. in a motorcade and went directly to a parking lot at the offices of New York Attorney General Letitia James. It is not clear how long the statement will take or if Trump will answer any questionsbut the former president’s lawyer, Alina Habba, suggested in a statement that her client would have something to say.
“President Trump is not only willing but also eager to testify before the attorney general today,” Habba said. “He stands firm in his position that he has nothing to hide, and he looks forward to educating the Attorney General on the immense success of his multi-billion dollar company.”
Trump offered his own unvarnished thoughts on the statement in an overnight post on social media that also accused James, without evidence, of leaking his arrival time to James’s office near Wall Street.
“The leak makes it much more difficult for the Police and Secret Service to do their jobs,” Trump said in the post. “This civil case is ridiculous, just like all the other election interference cases brought against me. If I had had a fair judge, this case would never have happened. ¡MAGA!”
It is Trump’s second excursion to New York in less than two weeks. He appeared in court less than a mile away on April 4 to plead not guilty in a criminal case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Trump is charged in that case with falsifying business records to hide a payment of money to Stormy Daniels, a porn actress.
James previously deposed Trump in August, as he was wrapping up his three-year investigation into the former president’s dealings. During that appearance, Trump claimed his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and did not answer any questions other than to confirm his name.
Trump noted that things could be different this time.
“I will finally be able to show what a great, profitable and valuable company I have actually built some of the largest real estate assets anywhere in the world,” Trump said in his social media post, without elaborating.
The case will go to trial in October.
Former federal prosecutor Jennifer Rodgers said she expects Trump to assert his Fifth Amendment rights again this Thursday, given James’ close ties to Bragg and the broad nature of Bragg’s ongoing investigation.
“From what is publicly known, and the Manhattan District Attorney has not said otherwise, Trump remains under criminal investigation for this exact conduct of the prosecutorso I hope he will follow what is certainly the advice of his lawyers and decline to answer questions about his conduct on this issue,” he said.
Trump is likely to be asked hundreds of questions about his role in assessing the value of a number of assets central to the case, including his tower at 40 Wall Street and a 212-acre property in the outskirts of Manhattan. The complaint spans more than 200 pages.
Trump has denied wrongdoing in both the civil and criminal cases and claims they are part of a “Witch hunt” broader policy designed to hurt him politically as he seeks to return to the White House in the 2024 presidential election.
James sued Trump, three of his sons and his company in September, alleging they inflated the value of their assets for years to trick banks and insurers into giving them better terms. James, a Democrat who campaigned on promises to go after Trump, is seeking sanctions, including a permanent ban on Trump’s four New York companies.
James cooperated closely with Bragg while conducting his investigation, a partnership that resulted in their offices coming together for a criminal case against the Trump Organization and its former CFO, Allen Weisselberg. The former executive pleaded guilty while a jury found Trump’s company guilty of tax misconduct after a trial.
