After spending about six hours being questioned under oath about alleged fraud at his family firm, Donald Trump departed a deposition in Manhattan on Wednesday. Earlier, he had pledged to use his constitutional right to silence.
The former president nodded at a small group of spectators escorted by Secret Service and law enforcement as his motorcade sped away.
Earlier, during a deposition at the New York attorney general's office, Trump said he had "no choice" but to invoke the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, which permits people to remain silent during questioning in order to guard against self-incrimination.
In a statement apparently issued after the deposition began, Trump said, “I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution,” adding he took the advice from his legal counsel.
“I once asked, ‘If you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?’ Now I know the answer to that question,” he continued.
“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.”
The deposition comes after the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a remarkable search of Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida earlier this week, signalling an expansion of the 45th president's legal investigations.
He came early on Wednesday at the offices of New York Attorney General Letitia James, where he was one of numerous active investigations into the brazen billionaire's business methods and other deeds.