Former guy and would- be despot Donald "Loser" Trump is said to be increasingly concerned about being prosecuted in the State of New York. It's no wonder given that the Manhattan District Attorney has empaneled a grand jury to consider whether to indict Trump and others on criminal fraud charges. To recap recent moves:
Manhattan's district attorney has convened the grand jury that is expected to decide whether to indict former president Donald Trump, other executives at his company or the business itself, should prosecutors present the panel with criminal charges, according to two people familiar with the development. [snip]
The move indicates that District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.’s investigation of the former president and his business has reached an advanced stage after more than two years. It suggests, too, that Vance thinks he has found evidence of a crime — if not by Trump, by someone potentially close to him or by his company. [snip]
Vance’s investigation is expansive, according to people familiar with the probe and public disclosures made during related litigation. His investigators are scrutinizing Trump’s business practices before he was president, including whether the value of specific properties in the Trump Organization’s real estate portfolio were manipulated in a way that defrauded banks and insurance companies, and if any tax benefits were obtained illegally through unscrupulous asset valuation.
The district attorney also is examining the compensation provided to top Trump Organization executives, people familiar with the matter have said.
That alone should scare the bejesus out of the orange grifter. But, the DA's office is also coordinating with what was a strictly civil investigation being conducted by the New York State Attorney General, but now apparently has a criminal aspect:
Separately, New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) began a civil investigation of the Trump Organization in 2019 prompted by Cohen’s testimony to Congress, where he said Trump had misled lenders and tax authorities with manipulated valuations of his assets. Asset values were inflated at times when the company was seeking favorable loan interest rates and were deflated to reduce tax liability, Cohen has alleged. He has been interviewed extensively by Vance’s team, which has added a decorated former federal prosecutor, Mark F. Pomerantz, to help with the Trump case.
In recent months, the two investigations have appeared to converge. Both sets of investigators have sought documents related to a Trump estate in suburban New York, according to court records and people familiar with the efforts, where the then-future president obtained a $21 million tax break by agreeing to give up development rights, and a tower in Chicago where Trump’s lenders forgave $100 million of debt.
Another sign of convergence: James’s office said last week that its long-running civil probe had also spawned a criminal investigation, now being run in coordination with Vance.
The state attorney general’s office did not explain what inspired the criminal inquiry, but veterans of the office said such shifts often are triggered by evidence that indicates a defendant intended to break the law.
The prosecutors have been interviewing members of the Trump family (smile failson Eric and daughter/wife Ivanka!), and are pressuring Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to spill what he knows (if he hasn't already) or face jail time, possibly with his son also facing charges. Recall, of course, that the DA's office has had Trump's personal tax returns for months now, which provide a text for them to proceed in their investigation and questioning. So they already have the "motherlode" and are confident enough about potential charges that they've moved forward with the grand jury impaneling. Dull as he is, Trump must know that and be visualizing an unpleasant endgame for him and members of his family.
Delusional, ardent Trumpers who are counting on "Teflon Don" to escape justice once again may be in for a rude awakening.
BONUS: Previous post with additional background here.
(Image: via @MichaelCohen212)
