On Wednesday, Donald Trump pled the Fifth Amendment in a deposition for the civil fraud case by New York State Attorney General Letitia James.
Democrats far and wide said that Trump’s refusal to testify was an admission of guilt, even citing his past comments on pleading the Fifth against him, in which he asked, “if you’re innocent, why are you taking the Fifth Amendment?”
Trump now knows 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. “If there was a question in my mind, the raid of my home, Mar-a-Lago on Monday by the FBI, just two days prior to this deposition wiped out any uncertainty. I have absolutely no choice because the current Administration and many prosecutors in the Country have lost all moral and ethical bounds of decency.”
Of course, the left didn’t see it that way and was more than willing to assert that Trump pled the Fifth because of guilt. So, what do they have to say about Democrats who have pled the fifth or refused to testify?
There are many examples I could cite, but here are just a few.
1. Obama staffer Ben Rhodes
Remember how treaties are supposed to be ratified by the U.S. Senate? Those were good times. But things changed when Barack Obama desperately wanted a nuclear deal with Iran that was so bad he kept the details secret from Congress. As a result, the treaty was destined to fail to achieve Senate ratification. So, Obama didn’t even try. Then, when Congress wanted answers, the White House refused to let the architect of the deal, Ben Rhodes, testify. White House counsel Neil Eggleston said at the time, “The appearance of a senior presidential adviser before Congress threatens the independence and autonomy of the president, as well as his ability to receive candid advice and counsel in the discharge of his constitutional duties.”
2. & 3. Hillary Clinton IT staffers
Bryan Pagliano, Hillary Clinton’s former IT specialist responsible for maintaining her controversial private computer server, invoked his Fifth Amendment right over 125 times during a deposition. According to ABC News, except for stating his name and responding “yes” to some procedural questions, he gave the same scripted response to every question about Hillary’s private email server setup: “On the advice of counsel, I will decline to answer your question in reliance on my rights under the Fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution.”
Similarly, Paul Combetta of Platte River Networks, who wiped Hillary’s private server with BleachBit, also refused to testify before the House Oversight Committee and pleaded the Fifth. Ironically, Hillary Clinton is now selling “But Her Emails” swag to raise money for her left-wing slush fund.
But her emails, indeed.
4. Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice
Susan Rice, who was involved in high-level discussions amongst Obama administration officials to spy on Trump’s then-incoming National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, initially accepted Sen. Lindsey Graham’s (R-S.C.) invitation to testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism regarding Russian attempts to influence the 2016 election. Still, after Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), the ranking Democrat on the committee, expressed disapproval of Graham’s invitation, she backed out.
5. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin
In the aftermath of Joe Biden’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin initially refused to appear and testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Because there was bipartisan unity in the quest for answers on the botched withdrawal, Austin couldn’t count on Democrats to support his refusal. Committee chairman Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) threatened to subpoena Austin unless he testified in the near future, which he eventually did.
6. Lois Lerner
Lois Lerner, the director of the Exempt Organizations Unit of the IRS when they were inappropriately targeting conservative and tea party groups, appeared before Congress in May 2013. She gave a statement but refused to answer questions by pleading the Fifth Amendment. Republicans called her back in March 2014, when she did the same. At the time, Rep. Elijah Cummings blasted Republicans for wanting to question Lerner.
7. Former Attorney General Eric Holder
The investigation of the botched Fast & Furious operation is perhaps the most significant example of the Obama administration using executive privilege to justify their refusal to cooperate with an investigation. Holder refused to provide subpoenaed documents to the House Oversight and Reform Committee. The blatant attempts by the administration to resist cooperating with the investigation ultimately led to a historic vote to hold Attorney General Holder in criminal contempt.
Did all the Democrats mentioned above refuse to testify or plead the Fifth because they were guilty? I’m sure Democrats wouldn’t say that, even though they say so today “because Trump!” Funny how that works.
