Manhattan DA drops a bombshell: Trump criminal investigation is still ongoing
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg issued a statement on Thursday clarifying that his office was still investigating former President Donald Trump.
"In recent weeks, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has been repeatedly asked whether our investigation concerning former President Donald J. Trump, the Trump Organization, and its leadership is continuing," Bragg said. "It is."
Bragg's statement comes after two top prosecutors resigned from his office, alleging that the investigation of Trump and his business had stalled.
Mark Pomerantz, who led the New York investigation into Trump's finances, resigned on February 23 along with Carey Dunne, the other lead prosecutor on the case.
Pomerantz's resignation letter said that he had quit over the decision by Bragg not to move ahead with prosecution of the Republican billionaire.
That decision, he wrote in the letter, was "contrary to the public interest."
"The team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes -- he did," Pomerantz wrote.
The Times reported that he has told aides the case can move forward if new evidence emerges or a Trump insider decides to turn on the former president.
But, Pomerantz wrote: "No events are likely to occur that will alter the nature of the case... There are always additional facts to be pursued."
But the decision not to prosecute "will doom any future prospects that Mr. Trump will be prosecuted for the criminal conduct we have been investigating," he continued.
Bragg, however, denied the claims that he had effectively halted the criminal investigation.
“It’s open, it’s active, we have a great team in place of dedicated career prosecutors working every day,” Bragg told Bloomberg on Thursday. “We’re exploring evidence that’s not been previously explored. We will leave no stone unturned.”
Trump, 75, has not been charged and has repeatedly described the case as a political witch hunt by a Democratic prosecutor.
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Read Bragg's full statement below:
In recent weeks, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has been repeatedly asked whether our investigation concerning former President Donald J. Trump, the Trump Organization, and its leadership is continuing.
It is.
There have also been questions about the timing of the grand jury. As anyone who has worked on criminal cases in New York knows, New York County has grand juries sitting all the time.
There is no magic at all to any previously reported dates.
The team working on this investigation is comprised of dedicated, experienced career prosecutors. They are going through documents, interviewing witnesses, and exploring evidence not previously explored. In the long and proud tradition of white-collar prosecutions at the Manhattan D.A.’s Office, we are investigating thoroughly and following the facts without fear or favor.
The team is led by Susan Hoffinger, Chief of the Investigation Division. Susan has decades of experience as an Assistant District Attorney and a defense attorney, including New York State grand jury and trial experience, which are crucial for this investigation.
High-profile, complex investigations have been trademarks of my professional career.
As a state prosecutor and a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, I successfully brought cases involving money laundering, witness tampering, mortgage fraud, official misconduct, and bribery. And, I went wherever the facts took me, prosecuting two mayors, a city council member, an FBI agent, a former Senate Majority Leader, a District Attorney, and business executives.
Indeed, litigation involving the former president himself is not foreign to me. As the Chief Deputy at the New York State Attorney General’s Office, I oversaw the successful litigation against the former president, his family, and the Trump Foundation.
These experiences shape my approach and the investigative steps that the team is hard at work on. Prosecutors fulfilling their duties cannot and do not bring only cases that are “slam dunks.” To the contrary, every case must be brought for the right reason – namely that justice demands it. That’s what I’ve done throughout my career, regardless of how easy or tough a case might be.
I understand the public desire to know more about our investigative steps. But, the law requires secrecy during an investigation. It is a felony in New York for a prosecutor to disclose grand jury matters. And for good reason.
Doing so can create problems for cases and investigations, the individuals involved, and the criminal justice system. It can affect witness testimony or even lead to witness tampering. Unauthorized public disclosures also potentially can affect a defendant’s right to a fair trial.
While the law constrains me from commenting further at this time, I pledge that the Office will publicly state the conclusion of our investigation – whether we conclude our work without bringing charges, or move forward with an indictment.
In the meantime, we will not be discussing our investigative steps. Nor will we be discussing grand jury matters.
In short, as we have previously said, the investigation continues.
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With additional reporting by AFP
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