Trump Organization carried out ‘extensive and protracted criminal conduct’, prosecutor claims
LAWYERS for a Manhattan prosecutor cited alleged “criminal conduct” at the Trump Organization as they seek the president’s tax returns.
Public reports of “extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization” justified the subpoena of the documents, a judge heard Monday, the Associated Press reported.
A Manhattan prosecutor has alleged ‘extensive and protracted criminal conduct’ at the Trump Organization[/caption]
The Trump Organization is a group of about 500 business entities, comprising mostly real estate, such as Trump Tower in Manhattan[/caption]
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. is seeking eight years of the president’s personal and corporate tax records.
While he previously said the investigation is related to alleged payoffs made to women to keep them quiet about alleged affairs with Trump, lawyers for Vance said on Monday said the investigation was broader.
The judge heard public reporting shows at the time the subpoena was issued “there were public allegations of possible criminal activity at Plaintiff’s New York County-based Trump Organization dating back over a decade.”
Donald Trump’s lawyers last month said the grand jury subpoena for the tax returns was issued in bad faith and amounted to harassment of the president.
President Trump and daughter Ivanka are no longer involved in the day-to-day running, leaving that to his sons Don Jr. and Eric[/caption]
The Trump Organization is a group of about 500 business entities, comprising mostly real estate, which was headed up by Donald Trump until he became president.
Trump and daughter Ivanka resigned from the company once he was sworn-in, leaving his sons Don Jr. and Eric to run it.
Though he is no longer involved in the day-to-day running of the Trump Organization, the president still retains his financial stake in the business.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. (left), pictured in 2015[/caption]
“These reports describe transactions involving individual and corporate actors based in New York County, but whose conduct at times extended beyond New York’s borders,” the lawyers said.
“This possible criminal activity occurred within the applicable statutes of limitations, particularly if the transactions involved a continuing pattern of conduct.”
The lawyers urged Judge Victor Marrero to swiftly reject Trump’s arguments, saying the baseless claims were threatening the investigation.
Marrero, who ruled against Trump last year, has scheduled arguments to be fully submitted by mid-August.
“Every day that goes by is another day Plaintiff effectively achieves the ‘temporary absolute immunity’ that was rejected by this Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court,” Vance’s lawyers said.
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The Supreme Court last month rejected claims by Trump’s lawyers that the president could not be criminally investigated while he was in office.
Trump ripped the Supreme Court decision on Twitter, saying it was a “political prosecution”.
Vance sought the tax records in part for a probe of how Trump’s then-personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, arranged during the 2016 presidential race to keep the porn actress Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal from airing claims of extramarital affairs with Trump.
Trump has denied the affairs.