Former President Donald Trump announced that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights during his Wednesday deposition with New York Attorney General Letitia James' office in a reversal from the stance he took nearly six years ago when he was running for the presidency.
In a statement made Wednesday, just an hour after Trump arrived at James' headquarters in New York City, the former president said, "I once asked, 'If you're innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?' Now I know the answer to that question."
"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," Trump said.
"Accordingly, under the advice of my counsel and for all of the above reasons, I declined to answer the questions under the rights and privileges afforded to every citizen under the United States Constitution," he added.
The Malignant Loser may not be aware of the consequences of taking the 5th in a civil case:
“In a civil proceeding such an [adverse] inference is permissible, where appropriate, not as a sanction or remedy for any unfairness created by exercise of the privilege but simply because the inference is relevant and outside the scope of the privilege.” Diaz v. Washington State Migrant Council, 156 Wash.App. 59, 85-86 (2011). “Fifth Amendment invocations by corporate employees or principals may also result in an adverse inference drawn against the corporation.” Id. (collecting cases). “Moreover, invocation of the Fifth Amendment privilege may supply an avenue for investigation by prosecutors.” Chaffee, 200 Wash.App. at 84.
We were happy to infer the Malignant Loser's guilt regardless of his taking the 5th, so this makes things all the more clear.
