Trump Didn’t Pledge the 5th in “Electric Avenue” Copyright Deposition

• Donald Trump did not plead the Fifth during his deposition for an “Electric Avenue” copyright lawsuit.
• After the ’80s dance song was used in a Biden-bashing tweet, Eddy Grant sued Trump.
• Grant’s side claims that Trump’s ex social media director Dan Scavino, is currently being deposed.

Eddy Grant, the singer of “Electric Avenue”, has achieved something the January 6 committeeThe New York attorney generalWe have failed to get Donald Trump to answer deposition questions.

The former president gave a court-ordered testimony earlier this year in Grant’s $300,000 copyright violation lawsuit. It is filed in federal courts in Manhattan. a court filing revealed Monday.

The lawsuit claims that Grant’s 1983 dancehall hit was used by Trump and his 2020 campaign, without the permission of the reggae-disco star, as part a Biden-bashing animated posted to Trump’s twitter.

In the background, 40 seconds of “Electric Avenue,” a video of Joe Biden as a candidate in 2008 plays. The animation shows Joe Biden petty on a hand-car while Trump’s campaign zooms past in a fast-moving train. 

According to the lawsuit, the animation was posted on August 12, 2020 and received 13 million views before being taken down a month later.

“Mr. Trump was deposed during this action and did no object to answering questions regarding the tweet,” stated Brett Van Benthysen, Grant’s lawyer.

Trump was scheduled to be deposed in the caseIn Van Benthysen’s Manhattan offices, in April. 

Trump was asked to answer questions about his access to and control of his Twitter account by the campaign. 

Trump was also to be questioned about the decision of Trump to post the tweet. According to court documents it was also possible to ask Trump about the “financial and political benefit” that he received from it.

Online court records do NOT indicate when Trump was deposed or where.

Monday’s filing was made to allow Grant’s side to demand that a hearing be held regarding the failure of Trump advisor Dan Scavino to comply with. a subpoena for his own depositionIn the lawsuit

Grant’s lawyer wrote that “Mr. Scavino is said to have often authored and/or revised Mr. Trump’s tweets, and defendants have claimed that Mr. Scavino played a role in the tweet containing the infringing clip.” in an August 20 court filing This is why Scavino’s witness is sought.

Scavino is a long-time adviser and aide to Trump. He has also fought a House January 6 committee subpoena for his phone records. 

US District Judge John G. Koeltl scheduled Wednesday, December 21 for a hearing regarding Scavino’s failure to comply Grant’s subpoena.

Trump and Grant lawyers have agreed to a strict gag in the case and repeatedly declined to comment. They did not immediately respond on Monday to requests for comment.

Trump has taken at least three more depositions in lawsuits brought against him this year. He pleaded the Fifth some 400 timesWhen Letitia Jam, the New York Attorney General, demanded that she sit down for questioning, James was readying to a $250 million lawsuitAlleging a long-standing pattern of business fraud.

Trump was elected to the Presidency in October was deposed by lawyers for E. Jean Carrolla magazine editor and online columnist who accused him defaming her, after she said that he had raped it 30 years earlier. Trump publicly denied the rape allegation and called Carroll an liar.

In October, the former president was also present was deposed in a class action lawsuitHe claims that he defrauded investors by convincing them to back a multi-level marketing company that he had repeatedly hyped on “The Apprentice.”