Former President Trump ripped New York prosecutors late Tuesday after reports surfaced that the Manhattan district attorney has convened a grand jury to weigh criminal charges against the Trump Organization, its top executives and Mr. Trump himself.
Mr. Trump revived his complaint that prosecutors’ probe into his finances is a “continuation of the greatest witch hunt in American history,” and slammed the investigation as a “purely political” prosecution.
However, Mr. Trump did not specifically reference the news of the grand jury convening.
“It began the day I came down the escalator in Trump Tower, and it’s never stopped. They wasted two years and $48 million in taxpayer dollars on Mueller and Russia Russia Russia, Impeachment Hoax #1, Impeachment Hoax #2, and it continues to this day, with illegally leaked confidential information,” Mr. Trump said in a statement
“This is purely political, and an affront to the almost 75 million voters who supported me in the Presidential Election, and it’s being driven by highly partisan Democrat prosecutors,” the statement continued. “New York City and State are suffering the highest crime rates in their history, and instead of going after murderers, drug dealers, human traffickers, and others, they come after Donald Trump.”
A spokesperson for the Manhattan district attorney’s office declined to comment when contacted by The Washington Times.
Mr. Trump’s statement comes after The Washington Post and other news organizations reported that Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has convened a grand jury to consider a possible indictment against the former president or his business associates.
Mr. Vance has been probing accusations of financial fraud by the Trump Organization, including whether it misled lenders and insurance companies about the value of properties.
Investigators are also looking into possible tax fraud related to New York property in the Trump Organization’s portfolio and hush money paid to Stormy Daniels, an adult-film star who has alleged an affair with Mr. Trump. He has denied her claims.
Another part of the probe is whether the Trump Organization gave perks to employees instead of higher salaries to reduce its payroll tax burden.
For example, chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg reportedly received discounted or free access to Trump-owned apartments in Manhattan.
The investigation has run for two years and prosecutors are said to be reviewing millions of pages of documents, including Mr. Trump’s tax returns, which they obtained in February.
The grand jury is expected to meet three days a week for six months and will likely hear legal matters beyond just the Trump Organization probe, the Post reported.
News of the panel is a sign that Mr. Vance has picked up the pace of his probe, which is ongoing alongside another investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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