Last Updated on: 26th May 2021, 12:31 am
New York prosecutors have convened a special grand jury to review evidence in a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s business relationships, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
Developments suggest that Manhattan prosecutors should bring charges after a two-year investigation into a protracted legal battle over Trump’s tax records. The person familiar with the case was not allowed to speak publicly on condition of anonymity. The news was first reported by the Washington Post.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is leading an extensive investigation into a variety of topics including covert payments to women on behalf of Trump, real estate appraisals, and employee compensation.
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Vance used a grand jury during his investigation to issue subpoenas and obtain documents. This group continued to work while other major juries and court activities closed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The investigation includes a close examination of Trump’s relationship with his lenders; a land donation he made to qualify for the income tax deduction, and the tax write-offs her company took on the millions of dollars in consulting fees it paid.
The new grand jury could potentially be asked to consider returning the charges. As he works on this case, he will hear other questions as well.
The Post reported that the grand jury will meet three days a week for six months. Vance’s office declined to comment. A message was left for Trump’s attorney to comment.
The new grand jury is the latest sign of the growing momentum of the criminal investigation against the former Republican president and his company, the Trump Organization.
Attorney General Letitia James said last week she hired two lawyers to work with Vance’s office on the investigation after her civilian investigation into Trump turned into a criminal case.
James, also a Democrat, said his office was also continuing its civilian investigation into Trump. She did not say what prompted her office to expand the investigation into criminal investigations.
For the past few months, Vance has hired former Mafia District Attorney Mark Pomerantz to help with the investigation and interviewed witnesses, including former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen.
Vance has refused to run for re-election and will step down at the end of the year, which means the Trump case is likely to be passed on to his successor in one form or another.
An election next month will almost certainly determine who it will be.
Trump issued a statement last week complaining about being “unfairly attacked and abused by a corrupt political system”.
He argues that the investigation is a “witch hunt” and part of a democratic conspiracy to silence his voters and prevent him from becoming president again.
In February, the United States Supreme Court backed Vance’s investigation by clearing the way for the prosecutor to impose a subpoena on Trump’s accounting firm and provide eight years of tax returns and related documents for the former president, the Trump Organization, and other Trump corporations to obtain.
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The documents are protected by the Grand Jury’s Nondisclosure Act and should not be published. Vance’s investigation appeared to have focused on Trump’s longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg in recent weeks. Her former daughter-in-law Jen Weisselberg is cooperating in both investigations.
She gave investigators loads of tax records and other documents to check if Trump employees received unconventional compensation like apartments or tuition.
Allen Weisselberg was summoned as part of the James Civil Inquiry and testified twice last year. His attorney declined to comment when asked Tuesday if he had been summoned to testify before the new grand jury. A message was left for Jen Weisselberg’s lawyer asking for a comment.
