New York Attorney General Letitia James is teaming up with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. to go after the Trump Organization, saying that an existing probe has now moved from the civil to the criminal. A spokesman for James' office said, "We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the organization is no longer purely civil in nature. We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA."
The enquiry – which began in 2019 – was, Vance claimed, looking primarily into whether Donald Trump violated New York tax laws with payments to Stormy Daniels. The Manhattan DA subpoenaed the former president's tax returns which Trump sought to keep private. In February this year, the Supreme Court announced simply that the 45th president's request to block the release of the returns was denied.
On May 6, the Federal Election Commission said it would not seek any campaign violation enforcement against Trump over the alleged payment to Ms. Daniels. So, where did that leave the Vance investigation?
Step It Up A Notch
Not to be deterred, Vance and James are now focused on the secondary aspect of Vance's initial review: Whether the Trump Organization inflated the value of the company's properties to lenders and insurers, and whether it paid the appropriate taxes.
AG James is well known for using her office to tackle political matters. In recent weeks, she has pursued the NRA in an attempt to disband the organization after promising to do so during her campaign. That Donald Trump is her new target is of little surprise. The 45th president has described both of the investigations to date as "politically motivated."
Liberty Nation will keep you updated as this story develops.
