As it became clear that Trump would not be re-elected, many pointed out how vulnerable he would be because he was no longer protected by the presidency. He had debts all over town. He and his organization, as well as those who assisted them in running it, have almost certainly violated a slew of rules. He will be suffocated by the sky. That hasn’t happened in the four months since he left office. However, as of Tuesday, it is a step closer.
According to The Washington Post, Manhattan’s top prosecutor, District Attorney Cyrus Vance, has taken it to the next level, convening a grand jury to decide whether or not to press charges against the now-former president and his associates. That doesn’t mean anyone’s going to jail, soon or later, but what it does suggest, as per WaPo, is that Vance “believes he has found evidence of a crime — if not by Trump then by someone potentially close to him or by his company.”
Vance’s investigation is expansive, reaching back even before Trump became president. Among the issues they’ve been studying is, as per the Post, “whether the value of specific properties in the Trump Organization’s real estate portfolio was manipulated in a way that defrauded banks and insurance companies, and if any tax benefits were obtained illegally through unscrupulous asset valuation.”
However, don’t hold your breath for a decision: Because of the investigation’s scale and scope, the judging panel will meet three days a week for the next six months.
Trump could not be contacted for comment, and he has not mentioned it on his blog as of this writing. He’s also referred to the inquiry as a “witch hunt,” a term he’s used to describe any investigation into his allegedly illegal legal dealings. Even, it’s a good idea to have the popcorn packed.
