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Thursday 11 augusT 2022
Trump says he took the Fifth in New York civil investigation

By MICHAEL BALSAMO, protesters who say his se-
MICHAEL R. SISAK and MI- curity guard roughed them
CHELLE L. PRICE up outside Trump Tower
Associated Press in 2015. However, Trump
NEW YORK (AP) — Don- invoked the Fifth Amend-
ald Trump invoked his Fifth ment to refuse to answer 97
Amendment protection questions in a 1990 divorce
against self-incrimination deposition. Messages seek-
as he testified under oath ing comment were left with
Wednesday in the New James’ office.
York attorney general’s Wednesday’s events un-
long-running civil investiga- folded two days after FBI
tion into his business deal- agents searched Trump’s
ings, the former president Mar-a-Lago estate in Flori-
said in a statement. da as part of an unrelated
About an hour after arriving federal probe into whether
at Attorney General Letitia he took classified records
James’ Manhattan offices, when he left the White
Trump announced that he House.
“declined to answer the New York’s investigation is
questions under the rights led by James, a Democrat
and privileges afforded who has said in court filings
to every citizen under the that her office has uncov-
United States Constitution.” Former President Donald Trump waves as he departs Trump Tower, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022, ered “significant” evidence
“I once asked, ‘If you’re in- in New York, on his way to the New York attorney general’s office for a deposition in a civil that Trump’s company mis-
investigation.
nocent, why are you tak- Associated Press led lenders and tax au-
ing the Fifth Amendment?’ thorities about the value of
Now I know the answer to torney general was squan- by the Manhattan district sworn testimony that’s not prized assets like golf cours-
that question,” the state- dering time investigating attorney. The Fifth Amend- given in court. es and skyscrapers.
ment said. “When your him instead of attending to ment protects people from “Jousting with lawyers at The company, the Trump
family, your company, crime in New York. being compelled to be wit- depositions, while avoid- Organization, even exag-
and all the people in your But after leaving around nesses against themselves ing lying, is something he’s gerated the size of Trump’s
orbit have become the 3:30 p.m., he described the in a criminal case. proud of,” Gillers said. “Per- Manhattan penthouse,
targets of an unfounded encounter as “very profes- Also, if the attorney gen- haps his lawyers feared saying it was nearly three
politically motivated Witch sional” and added a plug eral’s investigation leads that his impetuosity would times its actual size — a dif-
Hunt supported by lawyers, for his “fantastic” company. to a civil case against imperil him.” ference in value of about
prosecutors and the Fake As vociferous as Trump has Trump and it went to trial, Trump has undergone $200 million, James’ office
News Media, you have no been in defending himself jurors could be told that many depositions, dating said.
choice.” During more than in written statements and he invoked his protection to his career as a real estate Trump has denied the al-
six hours at the office build- on the rally stage, legal ex- against self-incrimination. developer. He has some- legations, contending that
ing, Trump used Truth So- perts said answering ques- New York University law pro- times seemed to relish giv- seeking the best valuations
cial, the social media plat- tions in a deposition was fessor Stephen Gillers said ing answers: For example, is a common practice in the
form he founded, to review risky because anything he he was surprised that Trump he said he was “pleased to real estate industry. He’s
the decor — “very plush, said could potentially be had done so, given his pre- have had the opportunity also accused James, who
beautiful and expensive” used against him in a par- vious experience with de- to tell my side” last Octo- is Black, of racism in pursu-
— and to suggest the at- allel criminal investigation positions, a legal term for ber in a lawsuit brought by ing the investigation.q

Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law fuels

anti-LGBTQ hate online

people surged online after ism. The measure, passed tweets that mentioned
Florida passed a law that by the Florida Legislature “grooming” were viewed
bars instruction on sexual on March 8 and signed by more than 72 million times
orientation and gender Republican Gov. Ron De- between January and July.
identity in kindergarten Santis on March 28, says Influential conservatives
through third grade. school teachers cannot drove much of the in-
References to pedophiles discuss gender identity or crease, the researchers
and “ grooming “ rose by sexual orientation with their found, through their own
more than 400 percent in young students. posts or by liking or forward-
the month after Florida’s Supporters have said deci- ing posts from others.
“Don’t Say Gay” measure sions about talking about They include U.S. Reps. Lau-
was approved, accord- sexual orientation should ren Boebert, R-Colo., and
ing to a report released be left to parents, not Marjorie Taylor Greene,
A sign-carrying anti-gay protester is surrounded by a sea of Wednesday by the Human teachers. R-Ga., and DeSantis’ press
Pride umbrellas during the Pride parade in Winston-Salem, N.C., Rights Campaign, one of Critics have said the law secretary, Christina Push-
June 18, 2022.
Associated Press the nation’s largest LGBTQ sends a hateful message aw, who was criticized for a
advocacy groups, and the about LGBTQ people. social media post in March
By DAVID KLEPPER cial media posts finds that Center for Countering Digi- The researchers who com- that compared criticism
Associated Press hateful references to gays, tal Hate, a nonprofit group piled the report found of the bill to pedophilia
Research that analyzed so- lesbians and other LGBTQ that tracks online extrem- that the 500 most-viewed itself.q