Manhattan DA convenes grand jury in Trump probe

Action by prosecutor Cy Vance points to potential indictment

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance and Donald Trump (Getty)
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance and Donald Trump (Getty)

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance has convened a grand jury, which will investigate potential criminal conduct regarding former President Donald Trump and others at his company.

The panel will sit three days a week for six months — longer than usual — to hear several matters, including the Trump Organization probe, according to the Washington Post.

Vance’s investigation has lasted more than two years. The decision to convene a grand jury indicates that the inquiry has reached an advanced stage and suggests that Vance thinks he has evidence of a crime.

Among the issues Vance is looking into is whether the Trump Organization inflated or understated the value of properties to defraud banks and insurers or to secure tax benefits. The properties https://therealdeal.com/2020/08/26/these-properties-have-trump-in-hot-water-with-attorney-general/ being examined include the skyscraper at 40 Wall Street and the Seven Springs resort in Westchester County.

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In a statement to the Washington Post, Trump called the grand jury action “a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in American history.”

Last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James joined Vance’s criminal probe into the organization. Previously, her office was conducting a civil investigation.

Vance aided his effort by securing access to eight years’ worth of Trump’s tax returns and other financial records.

[WaPo] — Sasha Jones