Trump may be Criminally Charged this Week

Manhattan prosecutors gave Trump Organization attorneys until Monday to explain why the business empire should not face criminal charges, and some legal observers’ charges could be announced within days.

“New York prosecutors have told lawyers for former U.S. President Donald Trump they must respond by Monday with any last arguments as to why criminal charges should not be filed against his family business, the Washington Post reported on Sunday,” Reuters reports.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has convened a criminal grand jury, which is hearing evidence of alleged tax violations by the Trump Organization, going through bank records and tax returns of Trump’s businesses and executives.

“On Friday, the New York Times reported that Vance could announce charges against the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, as soon as next week,” Reuters reports.

Charges are expected to be filed by Vance and New York Attorney General Letitia James accusing the Trump Organization and its executives, and possibly Trump himself, of violating state tax laws.

It appears prosecutors may also use the charges against Trump business executives to get them to testify against Trump.

“He’s in trouble, Allen Weisselberg’s in trouble, Weisselberg’s kids, (Trump COO) Matt Calamari, Rudy Giuliani, they’re all in trouble,” Trump’s troubled former attorney Michael Cohen claimed on Jimmy Kimmel Live. “Why? Because there’s documentary evidence that’s in their [prosecutors’] possession.”

“They don’t really need Weisselberg or Calamari, one of them will flip to save themselves. And once you get Calamari you don’t need Weisselberg, when you get Weisselberg you don’t need Calamari,” Cohen claimed.

Others are not so sure and believe that if prosecutors want to personally charge Trump they’ll have to do it without cooperating witnesses.

The New York Times reports:

For months, prosecutors working for District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., a Democrat, have sought to pressure Weisselberg into cooperating with their investigation into Trump, and any deal could turn the trusted executive into a star witness against the former president. For now, Weisselberg appears to have rebuffed Vance’s office and continues to work at the Trump Organization…

…The Trumps have long been able to count on Weisselberg’s fealty. After beginning his career working for Trump’s father, Weisselberg has served as the Trump Organization’s financial gatekeeper for more than two decades.

Even if Weisselberg chooses not to assist the investigation into his boss, charges against him could portend trouble for Trump, signaling that the prosecutors have identified what they believe is misconduct at his family business.

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Michael Brigham

Michael Brigham has written for American Action News since the summer of 2019. His areas of expertise include foreign affairs, government, and politics, but regardless of the subject matter, he has a nose and an insatiable appetite for news. In his free time, he enjoys reading nonfiction, watching a mix of comedies and true crime documentaries, and spending time away from the swamp hiking in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains.