Manhattan DA Convenes Special Grand Jury for Possible Criminal Charges Against Trump: Report
May 25, 2021 at 05:29 PM ET
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. has convened a special grand jury to weigh possible criminal charges against Donald Trump, the Trump Organization, and its officers or employees, possibly including Trump family members employed by the former president's business, and decide whether or not to indict.
"The move indicates that District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.'s investigation of the former president and his business has reached an advanced stage after more than two years," The Washington Post reports, which describes Vance's investigation as "expansive."
"It suggests, too, 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."
Last week New York State Attorney General Letitia James' Office announced it was joining the investigation into the Trump family business.
"We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA," Fabien Levy, James' spokesperson, said one week ago.
Investigators "are scrutinizing Trump's business practices before he was president, including whether the value of specific properties in the Trump Organization's real estate portfolio were manipulated in a way that defrauded banks and insurance companies, and if any tax benefits were obtained illegally through unscrupulous asset valuation."
Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified before Congress that Trump would inflate the value of his real estate and other assets when applying for a loan, and deflate the value when paying taxes.
"It was my experience that Mr. Trump inflated his total assets when it served his purposes, such as trying to be listed amongst the wealthiest people in Forbes, and deflated his assets to reduce his real estate taxes," Cohen said in 2019.
The Post notes this special grand jury is slated to sit three days a week for six months.
"While extended-length grand juries like the one selected to hear evidence in the district attorney's investigation can hear cases out of order and to varying levels of completion, it is likely that Trump-related testimony in the secret proceeding has already begun, said one of the people familiar with the matter."
This is a breaking news and developing story. Details may change.
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White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki ended the week with yet another smack down of Peter Doocy, as the Fox News reporter admitted there are Republicans who "don't agree with voting rights."
"As you talked about a year ago and working with Republicans, now [President Biden] is talking about Republicans that don't agree with voting rights," Doocy complained, "he's describing them as George Wallace, Bull Connor, and Jefferson Davis. What happened to the guy who, when he was elected said: 'To make progress me must stop treating our opponents as our enemy'?"
Doocy was referring to President Joe Biden's widely praised speech in support of voting rights earlier this week, referencing civil rights icons and their infamous white supremacist and segregationist opponents.
"Do you want to be on the side of Dr. King or George Wallace?" Biden asked, to the anger of many conservatives. "Do you want to be on the side of John Lewis or Bull Connor? Do you want to be on the side of Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis? This is the moment to decide to defend our elections, to defend our democracy."
Psaki as usual was prepared to respond – suggesting Doocy was not "speaking on the level."
"I think everybody listening to that speech, who's speaking on the level, as my mother would say, would note that he was not comparing them as humans. He was comparing the choice to those figures in history and where they're going to position themselves, if they as it – as they determine whether they're going to support the fundamental right to vote or not."
Fox News' Peter Doocy admits there are "Republicans that don't agree with voting rights."pic.twitter.com/Bmhr5zZvuh
— David Badash (@davidbadash) January 14, 2022
'This Is Insane': Republican Blasts RNC for Saying GOP Candidates Must Agree to Ban on Presidential Debates
For nearly four decades the Commission on Presidential Debates has managed and organized every presidential debate, but the Republican National Committee has just announced it will ban any GOP candidate from participating in any debate the Commission holds.
The New York Times reports the RNC is preparing to require any GOP candidate seeking that party's nomination for President to "sign a pledge to not participate in any debates sponsored by the Commission."
Republican U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger of Illinois weighed in Thursday afternoon.
"This is insane," he said on Twitter. "Why," he asked.
The Commission on Presidential Debates is a bipartisan nonprofit created jointly by the chairs of both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party in 1987, and has run every debate held since.
But first candidate and then President Donald Trump has railed against the Commission, refusing to participate during the second presidential debate because it was going to be held virtually, because of the coronavirus pandemic. He and his officials have also accused the Commission of being unfair and biased against him.
The RNC appears to be preparing for another Trump run. It is still engaged in a multi-million dollar fundraising agreement with the former President, including paying some of his legal bills.
Kayleigh McEnany Meets With January 6 Committee: CNN
Former Trump White House and campaign press secretary Kayleigh McEnany has appeared before the House Select Committee on the January 6 Attack.
CNN reports the meeting took place virtually.
McEnany, now a Fox News contributor, was one of ten former Trump officials "with close ties to the former president" subpoenaed by the Committee two months ago, on November 9.
According to a press release from the Committee, McEnany "made multiple public statements from the White House and elsewhere about purported fraud in the November 2020 election. For example, in the first White House press conference after the election, Ms. McEnany claimed that there were 'very real claims' of fraud that the former President's reelection campaign was pursuing, and said that mail-in voting was something that 'we have identified as being particularly prone to fraud.' At another press conference, Ms. McEnany accused Democrats of 'welcoming fraud' and 'welcoming illegal voting.' In addition, Ms. McEnany was reportedly present at times with the former President as he watched the January 6th attack."
This is a breaking news and developing story.
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