Former President Donald Trump was easily able to avoid conviction at his second impeachment trial in January — but the Democrat-led efforts in New York could prove a more difficult task.
Trump has dismissed the investigation as a politically motivated witch hunt.
Still, experts say he could be potentially facing fines… or maybe even arrest.
The investigation into Trump’s finances has reportedly heated up in New York. Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, has met with the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. and his investigators seven times over the past few months — and their latest Zoom video conference lasted two-and-a-half hours.
The District Attorney’s office has remained quiet about the investigation. But Cohen, who once said he’d take a bullet for Trump before becoming Vance’s star cooperator, predicted Trump should “get ready for prison” in February. He has been cooperating with the DA’s office since he was convicted of tax fraud in 2018.
In a show of force, the District Attorney’s office recently brought on Mark Pomerantz, an expert on white-collar crime that put away mafia boss John Gotti and others, as their lead investigator.
So far there is no evidence presented to the public that Trump ever committed a crime. The former president has called the investigation a “fishing expedition” and vowed that he would win.
But there are serious legal perils potentially ahead for the former president, even if the investigations are politically motivated. The Supreme Court recently ruled on behalf of the Manhattan DA and allowed his team to access Trump’s tax records. Vance has been seeking Trump’s tax records since 2019, and had previously subpoenaed the Mazars accounting firm that has long done work for Trump and his businesses.
Mazars has said it would comply with the subpoena, but Trump sued to block the records’ release.
The records Vance has been after are more than eight years of Trump’s personal and corporate tax records. Vance has disclosed little about what prompted him to seek them.
In one court filing last year, however, prosecutors said they were justified in demanding the records because of public reports of “possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization.”
Since the high court’s ruling, in the Vance case, Trump’s attorneys made additional arguments that his tax records should not be turned over, but they lost again in federal court in New York and on appeal. It was those rulings that Trump had sought to put on hold.
Trump responded to the Supreme Court ruling with a statement:
This investigation is a continuation of the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of our Country, whether it was the never ending $32 million Mueller hoax, which already investigated everything that could possibly be investigated, ‘Russia Russia Russia,’ where there was a finding of ‘No Collusion,’ or two ridiculous ‘Crazy Nancy’ inspired impeachment attempts where I was found NOT GUILTY. It just never ends!
So now, for more than two years, New York City has been looking at almost every transaction I’ve ever done, including seeking tax returns which were done by among the biggest and most prestigious law and accounting firms in the U.S. The Tea Party was treated far better by the IRS than Donald Trump. The Supreme Court never should have let this “fishing expedition” happen, but they did. This is something which has never happened to a President before, it is all Democrat-inspired in a totally Democrat location, New York City and State, completely controlled and dominated by a heavily reported enemy of mine, Governor Andrew Cuomo. These are attacks by Democrats willing to do anything to stop the almost 75 million people (the most votes, by far, ever gotten by a sitting president) who voted for me in the election—an election which many people, and experts, feel that I won. I agree!
The new phenomenon of “headhunting” prosecutors and AGs—who try to take down their political opponents using the law as a weapon—is a threat to the very foundation of our liberty. That’s what is done in third world countries. Even worse are those who run for prosecutorial or attorney general offices in far-left states and jurisdictions pledging to take out a political opponent. That’s fascism, not justice—and that is exactly what they are trying to do with respect to me, except that the people of our Country won’t stand for it.
In the meantime, murders and violent crime are up in New York City by record numbers, and nothing is done about it. Our elected officials don’t care. All they focus on is the persecution of President Donald J. Trump.
I will fight on, just as I have, for the last five years (even before I was successfully elected), despite all of the election crimes that were committed against me. We will win!
The Horn editorial team