Former US President Donald Trump on Thursday answered questions for nearly seven hours during his second deposition in a legal battle with New York’s attorney general over his company’s business practices, The Associated Press reported.
Trump reversed an earlier decision to invoke his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination and remain silent.
He met all day with lawyers for Attorney General Letitia James, who sued Trump last year. Her lawsuit claims Trump and his family misled banks and business associates by giving them false information about his net worth and the value of assets such as hotels and golf courses.
In January, a New York State judge tossed a motion from the Trump family to dismiss James’ $250 million lawsuit, calling the motion “frivolous”.
Shortly after Trump entered the Manhattan skyscraper that houses James’ offices, his attorney, Alina Habba, said he was “not only willing but also eager to testify.”
“He remains resolute in his stance that he has nothing to conceal, and he looks forward to educating the Attorney General about the immense success of his multi-billion dollar company,” Habba said in a statement quoted by AP.
The lawsuit is unrelated to the felony criminal charges filed against Trump by the Manhattan district attorney, which led to his historic arraignment, the first for a former president.
Thursday’s deposition was conducted in private.