Legal experts offered their analysis after The New York Times obtained a resignation letter by a star prosecutor who came out of retirement to investigate former President Donald Trump for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.
"One of the senior Manhattan prosecutors who investigated Donald J. Trump believed that the former president was 'guilty of numerous felony violations' and that it was 'a grave failure of justice' not to hold him accountable, according to a copy of his resignation letter. The prosecutor, Mark F. Pomerantz, submitted his resignation last month after the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, abruptly stopped pursuing an indictment of Mr. Trump," The Times reported.
On the same day, prosecutor Carey Dunne also resigned.
"Mr. Pomerantz and Mr. Dunne planned to charge Mr. Trump with falsifying business records, specifically his annual financial statements — a felony in New York State," the newspaper reported.
The letter said the team of prosecutors on the case "harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes — he did."
Daily Beast political reporter Jose Pagliery said the resignation letter, "reads like an indictment... of the DA's office."
This letter from Mark Pomerantz, who just quit the team of Manhattan prosecutors investigating Trump, reads like an indictment... of the DA's office.\n\nNot something you see every day.pic.twitter.com/bSP0X79b6Z— Jose Pagliery (@Jose Pagliery) 1648076921
Former federal prosecutor Michael Garofola blasted the decision to not prosecute Trump.
"Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne have forgotten more about criminal law than Bragg will ever know. While Bragg refuses to pursue an indictment of Trump, Pomerantz’s letter is an indictment of Bragg and demonstrates that Bragg is unfit to be the Manhattan DA," he argued.
Prominent conservative attorney George Conway zeroed in on the words "no doubt" and commented that "professional prosecutors don't use those words lightly."
Former Southern District of New York federal prosecutor called upon New York Governor Kathy Hochul to reassign the case to another prosecutor, suggesting either New York Attorney General Tish James or Westchester County DA Mimi Rocah.
I am again calling on @GovKathyHochul @KathyHochul to reassign the Trump criminal investigation from @ManhattanDA to another prosecutor, either @TishJames @NewYorkStateAG or @WestchesterDA @Mimirocah1 \nTrump Is Guilty of \u2018Numerous\u2019 Felonieshttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/nyregion/trump-investigation-felony-resignation-pomerantz.html?smid=tw-share\u00a0\u2026— Richard Signorelli (@Richard Signorelli) 1648076520
Conway suggested it was wise to believe Pomerantz over an elected official.
If Mark Pomerantz says this, you can take it to the bank. I'd trust his judgment any day of the week over an elected DA's.https://twitter.com/nycsouthpaw/status/1506766385652903941\u00a0\u2026— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1648078455
"A grave failure of justice." Indeed.https://twitter.com/joenbc/status/1506764203633385484\u00a0\u2026— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1648078618
And it's not just Pomerantz's judgment, it's also that of Carey Dunne, a former president of the New York City Bar. \n\nBoth had full and distinguished careers as prosecutors and defense lawyers. They didn't take on this inquiry for any reason other than to achieve justice.https://twitter.com/gtconway3d/status/1506776368104808455\u00a0\u2026— George Conway\ud83c\udf3b (@George Conway\ud83c\udf3b) 1648079280
Tax evasion\nWire fraud\nMail fraud\nBank fraud\netc— Richard Signorelli (@Richard Signorelli) 1648079768
Here is the full text of the resignation letter by prosecutor Mark Pomerantz, who had investigated former President Donald Trump, but left after the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, halted an effort to seek an indictment.https://nyti.ms/3Nrd6U2— NYT Metro (@NYT Metro) 1648077607
A Manhattan prosecutor who investigated Donald Trump believed that the former president was \u201cguilty of numerous felony violations\u201d and that it was \u201ca grave failure of justice\u201d not to hold him accountable, according to a copy of his resignation letter. https://nyti.ms/3L44ujW\u00a0pic.twitter.com/McWrnoGlSK— The New York Times (@The New York Times) 1648078209
