Trump invokes Fifth Amendment to evade questions over alleged fraud

Donald Trump declines to answer questions related to his family business during deposition at New York attorney general's office, saying he has "no choice" but to invoke the constitutional guarantee.

Trump has undergone many depositions, dating to his career as a real estate developer. (AP)

Former US president Donald Trump has invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath in the New York attorney general's long-running civil investigation into his business dealings.

About an hour after arriving at Attorney General Letitia James' Manhattan offices on Wednesday, Trump said he "declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution."

"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."

As vociferous as Trump has been in defending himself in written statements and on the rally stage, legal experts said answering questions in a deposition was risky because anything he said could potentially be used against him in a parallel criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney. 

The Fifth Amendment protects people from being compelled to become witnesses against themselves in a criminal case.

Also, in case the attorney general's investigation leads to a civil case against Trump and it goes to trial, jurors could be told that he invoked his protection against self-incrimination.

'Mob takes the Fifth'

Wednesday's events unfolded two days after FBI agents searched Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida as part of an unrelated federal probe into whether he took classified records when he left the White House.

New York's investigation is led by Attorney General 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.

The company, Trump Organization, even exaggerated the size of Trump's Manhattan penthouse, saying it was nearly three times its actual size — a difference in the value of about $200 million, James' office said.

Trump has denied the allegations, contending that seeking the best valuations is a common practice in the real estate industry. He has also accused Attorney General James, who is Black, of racism in pursuing the investigation.

Trump previously criticised people for exercising Fifth Amendment rights.

"The mob takes the Fifth," Trump said during a 2016 campaign rally. "If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?"

He was referring to people who had exercised their Fifth Amendment rights in an investigation relating to Democrat Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server for official correspondence during her time as secretary of state. 

Clinton was Trump's opponent in the presidential election that year.

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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US charges Iranian man in alleged plot to kill ex-Trump adviser John Bolton

The US Justice Department launched a criminal complaint against Shahram Poursafi with plotting to murder Bolton in retaliation for the death of Iran's Qasem Soleimani.

The FBI on Wednesday released a most-wanted poster of Poursafi. (AP)

The United States has charged a member of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps with plotting to murder John Bolton, a national security adviser to former President Donald Trump.

The Justice Department alleged on Wednesday that Shahram Poursafi, also known as Mehdi Rezayi, 45, of Tehran, was likely motivated to kill Bolton in retaliation for the death of Qasem Soleimani, a commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps killed in a US drone strike in January 2020.

Iran's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Iran does not have an extradition treaty with the United States and Poursafi remains at large. The FBI on Wednesday released a most-wanted poster.

According to the criminal complaint, Poursafi asked a US resident identified only as "Individual A" to take photographs of Bolton, under the guise that the photos were needed for a forthcoming book.

The US resident then introduced Poursafi to a covert government informant who could take the photographs for a price.

Investigators said the following month Poursafi contacted the informant on an encrypted messaging application and offered the person $250,000 to hire someone to "eliminate" Bolton - an amount that would later be negotiated up to $300,000.

When the informant asked Poursafi to be more specific in his request, he said he wanted "the guy" purged and he provided Bolton's first and last name, according to a sworn statement in support of the complaint.

He later directed the informant to open a cryptocurrency account to facilitate the payment. 

In subsequent communications, he allegedly told the informant it did not matter how the killing was carried out, but that his "group" would require a video as proof that the deed was done.

READ MORE: Iran pledges revenge on US for Soleimani's death

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m23pywBTNQY[/embed]

Impact on nuclear deal talks?

In a statement on Twitter on Wednesday, Bolton thanked the Justice Department for taking action.

"While much cannot be said publicly right now, one point is indisputable," he said. 

The State Department had no immediate comment on whether the decision to charge Poursafi was in any way linked to US diplomacy seeking to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Indirect talks between the United States and Iran wrapped up in Vienna on Monday with European Union officials saying they had put forward a final text to resuscitate the agreement.

Under the agreement, Tehran has curbed its nuclear programme in return for relief from US, EU and UN economic sanctions.

Trump pulled out of the nuclear deal in 2018 and restored harsh US sanctions, prompting Tehran to start violating the agreement's nuclear limits about a year later, reviving fears Iran might be seeking to develop nuclear weapons – an ambition it denies.

READ MORE: Iran nuclear talks restart in Vienna as officials look to remove hurdles

Source: TRTWorld and agencies

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Kosovo declares Russian journalist persona non grata over alleged espionage

Pristina bans Daria Aslamova's entry for 5 years, announces Interior Minister Xhelal Svecla
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Shakira to go to trial in Spain for alleged tax fraud

"Shakira and her team consider that this case constitutes a total violation of her rights," the statement reads, "since she has always shown impeccable behaviour, as a person and taxpayer, and total willingness to resolve any disagreement from the beginning, even before the criminal proceeding."

In July 2021, a judge at a court near Barcelona ruled that the Colombian singer could stand trial for alleged tax evasion of 14.5 million euros ($17 million) in Spain.

In a ruling obtained by CNN, the investigating magistrate said that there is "sufficient evidence" to hold a trial for Shakira's alleged tax evasion for the years of 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Judge Marco Jesús Juberías argued that Shakira lived more than 200 days in Spain in each of those three years, making her liable to pay taxes in the country.

At the time, Spanish media reported that Shakira's team argued her main residence was in the Bahamas. But local media reported she has a home in the Barcelona area with her former partner, FC Barcelona football defender Gerard Piqué. Piqué and Shakira, who have two children together, announced their split last month.

The judge argued that Shakira and a financial adviser, also named in the ruling, used a series of companies in off-shore tax havens to attempt to hide the sources of her income during those years.

CNN has reached out to the prosecutor's office for comment, but there has been no response yet.

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Lee Zeldin's running running mate Alison Esposito slams alleged attacker's release

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The running mate for Rep. Lee Zeldin's, R-N.Y., gubernatorial race says that it's "horrific" that the alleged attacker has already been released from jail due to New York's cash bail reform law.

Alison Esposito, candidate for New York lieutenant governor, told Fox News Digital it's "horrific" that David Jakubonis, the man accused of attacking Zeldin, was released from jail just hours after the incident occurred and says it sends a broader message to residents of the state.

"I think it's horrific. I think, what does this tell us about the shot that innocent victims, everyday New Yorkers, have just walking the streets of New York?," Esposito said. "If a sitting congressman at a political rally who is exercising his right to free speech and exercising his free, the freedoms of expressing his opinion, when an individual comes up and attempts to take his life, and attempts to assault him, attempts to potentially murder him, and within six hours that man has been released."

Esposito, who was previously a deputy inspector for the New York City Police Department, said that the state is doing a "disservice" to the man.

ALLEGED LEE ZELDIN ATTEMPTED ATTACKER CHARGED WITH FELONY, IMMEDIATELY RELEASED JUST AS CONGRESSMAN PREDICTED

Congressman Lee Zeldin stands on stage during his stump speech, before an alleged attack on him, in Fairport, New York, United States, July 21, 2022. (Ian Winner/Handout via Reuters)

Zeldin was at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post event giving a speech about bail reform on Thursday evening when Jakubonis, 43, allegedly got on stage and "lunged" at the gubernatorial candidate with a blade in his hand, according to witnesses.

As Jakubonis "lunged" toward Lee, he can be heard saying "you're done," several times, according to video. After several people assisted in taking down Jakubonis, Zeldin got back on stage and continued his speech.

Jakubonis, who was charged with attempted assault in the second degree, was arraigned in Perinton Town Court and released on his own recognizance just hours after the incident happened, according to the sheriff's department.

LEE ZELDIN, NEW YORK GOP GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATE, ATTACKED AT CAMPAIGN STOP

"Not only are we doing that man a disservice, who may need help, be it psychological or he, at some point we were told that he was a veteran. Maybe he needs, he has some wounds of war," she said. "You know, what does that say for the everyday New Yorker who's trying to get a fair shake in our justice system, when you're going to release somebody who attempts to take the life of a sitting congressman?"

The candidate for lieutenant governor said that when she first saw Jakubonis get on stage, "I didn't know what he was doing," and said that she thought he was possibly part of the sound crew and was going to fix something.

LEE ZELDIN'S WOULD-BE ATTACKER 'TACKLED' BY GROUP OF BYSTANDERS: 'HE HAD A BLADE ON HIS HAND'

Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., was attacked during a gubernatorial campaign stop in Perinton, New York on Thursday night where an individual allegedly pulled out a sharp object. (Ian Winner)

That quickly changed when the man lunged forward at Zeldin. Esposito said then "his intention was clear," adding that the congressman "was amazing" and stayed calm throughout the incident.

Zeldin's campaign shared an image with Fox News Digital that appears to show the blade that was used by the alleged attacker, who is being restrained in the picture.

A man allegedly tried to attack Rep. Lee Zeldin during a campaign stop in New York Thursday night. Pictured above is the weapon he allegedly used. (Zeldin Campaign)

Zeldin, Esposito and their campaign staff were unharmed in the incident, according to a statement.

After the incident, Zeldin tweeted that cashless bail "must" be repealed in New York.

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"After being charged with a felony for last night’s attack, the man who tried to stab me was instantly released back onto the street due to New York’s insane cashless bail law. We MUST repeal cashless bail in New York!," Zeldin said.

A 2019 bail reform law in New York eliminated cash bail for most nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors.

Fox News' Brie Stimson contributed to this report.

Sara Ballou is a social media producer for Fox News Digital.

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