New York Attorney General Letitia James said Tuesday that her office has evidence of fraud in the Trump Organization, but no charges or lawsuits have been filed.
Donald Trump left Trump Tower in New York City on May 18, 2021.
The images are from GC.
The AG alleged Tuesday that the company used fraudulent or misleading tactics in how they reported their assets to get economic benefits.
When a former president is the target of a white collar investigation, prosecutors are going to take their time and spare no investigative resource, according to a former Manhattan prosecutor.
The Manhattan criminal investigation has been hampered by the fact that the Supreme Court only ordered Trump to turn over his tax returns in February of 2021.
James said Tuesday her office's civil investigation has been slowed by the Trumps' "delay tactics."
James has had to get a judge to compel testimony and documents from the Trump family because they won't cooperate voluntarily, and asked the court to do so again on Tuesday, according to court documents.
A second grand jury will be convened in November of 2021, which could bring new indictments, even though the first grand jury decided not to indict Trump before he left office.
James said in Tuesday's court filing that her office has not yet reached a final decision about whether to bring a lawsuit against Trump or his company.
Bederow told Forbes that prosecutors will take their time because they want to get Trump.
What to watch for.
James wants a judge to order Donald Trump, Jr., and Ivanka Trump to testify. The Trumps are expected to fight the request, which could drag out the proceedings further and potentially play out in court. Bederow said that if the court doesn't make them testify, it could threaten James' case. A civil investigation by James could lead to charges against Trump, his associates or the company, but a criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney could lead to charges. The Trump Organization could be in danger of being taken away from it by the court if the litigation goes forward.
We don't know what we don't know.
How long will the investigations take? The AG and Manhattan District Attorney are working together on their investigations, but that doesn't mean they can bring actions at the same time. It would be difficult for Trump to back off and not take action after James claimed her office had evidence of wrongdoing, though it remains to be seen how much trouble he could find himself in as a result.
There is a key background.
The Manhattan District Attorney began an investigation in July of last year in response to Michael Cohen's "hush money" payments made to women Trump allegedly had affairs with before expanding more broadly to the company's financials. The Trump Organization and CFO Allen Weisselberg were indicted in July for tax fraud, but Trump has not been charged with any crimes. The AG said Tuesday that her investigation had uncovered evidence that Trump had lied about the value of his assets on financial statements for personal gain. James is working with the Manhattan District Attorney to conduct a criminal investigation in May.
Chief critic.
The Trump family and the Trump Organization have criticized the investigation and accused the attorney general of misleading the public. Three years after taking office, she is faced with the stark reality that she has no case. Her allegations are baseless and will be vigorously defended.
New York Attorney General Alleges Trump Organization Misstated Value of Assets for Economic Gain.
New York authorities are taking aim at Trump and his family.
A new grand jury is being convened in the Trump case.
There are seven questions about New York's investigations of Trump.
The NY AG says that the Trump Organization delayed testimony from an executive in charge of conflict-of-interest rules because of email migrations.
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