Manhattan’s District Attorney Convenes Grand Jury to Hear Evidence in Trump Probe, Possible Charges Coming

Prosecutors in New York have reportedly convened a special grand jury to consider evidence in a criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump’s business dealings, which signals that the Manhattan district attorney’s office was moving toward seeking charges as a result of its two-year investigation, which included a lengthy legal battle to obtain his tax records.

Trump recently responded to news that the investigation had turned into a criminal matter according to New York’s Democratic Attorney General Letitia James by calling it a “witch-hunt.”

“The Democrat New York Attorney General has “informed” my organization that their “investigation” is no longer just a civil matter but also potentially a “criminal” investigation working with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation that is in desperate search of a crime. But, make no mistake, that is exactly what is happening here,” Trump said in a statement.

The latest news was attributed to an anonymous source who was not authorized to speak publicly.

From the AP:

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. is conducting a wide-ranging investigation into a variety of matters such as hush-money payments paid to women on Trump’s behalf, property valuations and employee compensation.

The Democratic prosecutor has been using an investigative grand jury through the course of his probe to issue subpoenas and obtain documents. That panel kept working while other grand juries and court activities were shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The investigation includes scrutiny of Trump’s relationship with his lenders; a land donation he made to qualify for an income tax deduction; and tax write-offs his company claimed on millions of dollars in consulting fees it paid.

The new grand jury could eventually be asked to consider returning indictments. While working on that case, it also will be hearing other matters. The Post reported that the grand jury will meet three days a week for six months.

Another recent development according to “sources familiar with the matter” is that Trump’s long-serving chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, has been under criminal investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James for several months.

The sources said that investigation began with a referral from state tax authorities several months ago and involved Weisselberg’s compensation by the Trump Organization and whether taxes were properly paid.