FBI agents are investigating the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office over allegations it dropped high-profile cases after attorneys for subjects of those probes — including Harvey Weinstein and Ivanka Trump — made campaign donations, according to a report Wednesday.
Authorities have spent the past few months inquiring about the decision-making by District Attorney Cy Vance Jr., and his staff, the New York Daily News reported citing sources with knowledge of the probe.
The FBI investigation emerged after allegations that investigations were closed once lawyers representing the big-name suspects or their representatives made large donations to Mr. Vance’s campaign.
The Daily News said the scope of the investigation is not known. It is also not known if criminal charges would be considered.
A spokesperson for the Manhattan’s District Attorney Office told the Daily News he was unaware of any FBI probe.
Questions surfaced last year about Mr. Vance’s decision to drop the investigation into Mr. Weinstein, a former Hollywood movie mogul, after he was accused of groping a model’s breasts. A Weinstein lawyer at that time donated $24,000 to Mr. Vance and then another $10,000 after the probe ended, the Daily News said.
Some years ago, Mr. Vance’s office cleared President Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka Trump and eldest son Donald Trump Jr., who were being investigated for allegedly defrauding investors by misrepresenting the number of condos sold by Trump SoHo.
In 2012, an attorney for the two, Marc Kasowitz, donated $25,000 to Mr. Vance and another $32,000 was donated after the probe was ended, the Daily News reported. Mr. Vance returned both donations, according to the Daily News.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.