Deponent:
An individual who, under oath or affirmation, gives out-of-court testimony in a deposition. A deponent is someone who gives evidence or acts as a witness. The testimony of a deponent is written and carries the deponent’s signature. [The Free Dictionary]
Noted in “How It Was Done: The Problem Is Not Only That Trump Fired Comey, But How He Did It,” Bob Bauer, Lawfare:
The problem overall may be that Mr. Trump cannot help but see the legal process as he did when a businessman for so many years. He was a client, a deponent, a defendant and a plaintiff. The law and legal system were factors in the business environment; they were component parts of the machinery with he had to be familiar in order to successfully pursue his private goals. His view of the law is, it seems, coldly practical: only the results appear to count.
I also think this is the most important paragraph of the piece, because it illustrates one of the reasons Trump is not qualified for the position – he has no concept of a theoretical understanding of his position. His experience is inapplicable.
