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Major criminal case against Trump starts advancing

PC

by Pandora Craufurd-Gormly

Image: indesignlive.com

Image: indesignlive.com

PC

by Pandora Craufurd-Gormly

Donald Trump’s real estate company and its executives are currently being investigated on multiple fronts, including the ex-president’s tax returns.

Another rich and obscenely powerful figure with multiple business accolades violating tax returns? Groundbreaking.

New York county district attorney, Cyrus Vance Jr is leading the investigation, questioning Trump’s real estate company and executives with the ‘perks’ it gave employees, and how the company accounted reimbursements to Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer.

Trump
Image: Business Insider

An investigation on Trump’s business practices was propelled by Vance more than two years ago before Trump became president.

The intricate probe explores whether the Trump Organisation’s real estate portfolio was unconscionably presented to obtain illegal tax benefits, and defraud insurance companies and banks.

Mr Vance has moved on from collecting evidence, and has convened the grand jury for this complex case to assess whether to formally pursue criminal charges.

It is likely charges will be pursued, as indicated by the use of a special grand jury panel:

“It really suggests they’ve reached a point in their investigation where the district attorney believes there’s evidence of a crime. You don’t empanel a special grand jury unless you think you have a viable case,” Adam S. Kaufmann, served as chief of the office’s investigative division.

It has been said that the special grand jury will meet three times weekly for six months.

This category of ‘grand jury’ is commonly used in the US legal system for complex cases (long-term fraud and corruption cases) because, unlike a federal grand jury, prosecutors cannot present hearsay evidence.

But ‘what does this mean?’, you may be wondering.

Basically, this means that prosecutors must call witnesses themselves to testify to the grand jury instead of asking for FBI or special agents involved in the case to break down the evidence.

Therefore, calling all witnesses, especially as a case progresses, usually results in a lengthier trial than what a standard jury would allow.

Having said this, it has been indicated by an unknown source familiar with the case that Trump’s company, and its executives, have advised at least one witness (thus far) to prepare for their grand jury testimony.

This suggests that the length of this trial is progressing into an advanced stage of legal proceedings.

The nitty-gritty of the legal situation has not yet been fully extrapolated at this stage.

However, some specifics of people involved have been made public – Allen Weisselberg (chief financial officer of the Trump Organisation) is being closely examined regarding the benefits he and his son Barry, an established employee of the trump Organisation, have received from the company.

Because Trump was inevitably (and finally) been banned on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, his online comments about this case have been published on his new, super cool blog. SO early 2010s of you, Trump.

Here is his poignant reflection on the matter,

“This is a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in American history,” 
“This is purely political, and an affront to the almost 75 million voters who supported me in the Presidential Election, and it’s being driven by highly partisan Democrat prosecutors.
“New York City and State are suffering the highest crime rates in their history, and instead of going after murderers, drug dealers, human traffickers, and others, they come after Donald Trump.” 
Yes, all the crimes Trump lists are, of course abhorrent illegalities that need to be tackled.
However, I personally consider prosecuting a powerful, wealthy and toxic figure to be just as important.
But you know – another day, another Trump Tantrum.

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