A grand jury that’s been hearing evidence that Donald Trump allegedly inflated the value of his holdings to get favorable credit terms and other perks, is set to wrap up its work on Friday.
The grand jury was empaneled in November by former district attorney Cyrus Vance. But on January 1 when the new district attorney Alvin Bragg took office, progress in the case came to a halt. Bragg decided not to hear any witnesses or gather more evidence, leading to the conclusion that he was ready to drop the case.
But Bragg released a statement in early April insisting that he was going to continue the investigation and that “there is no magic at all” in settling on a timetable for indicting the former president.
The writing had been on the wall for weeks when the two lead prosecutors in the case, Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne, resigned in February. Pomerantz released his own statement saying he believed Trump was guilty of numerous felonies.
That statement hinted at disagreements in the DA’s office in Manhattan over whether there was enough evidence to bring Trump to trial.
The district attorney’s office fought successfully for access to Trump’s personal and business tax returns as part of the investigation into how he valued his assets. The New York attorney general is conducting a parallel civil investigation.
The case has already resulted in tax charges against the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer Allan Weisselberg over perks paid to certain executives. Each has pleaded not guilty.
Bragg could always impanel his own grand jury and try again but unless some unexpected break in the case happens, this specific case against Trump will simply fade away.
The grand jury’s expiration at the end of the month does not preclude prosecutors from impaneling another jury, but the developments underscore the reduced possibility that Mr. Trump will face charges under Mr. Bragg, who along with several other prosecutors had concerns about proving the case. Some people close to the inquiry believe that it will not result in an indictment of the former president unless a witness cooperates unexpectedly — a long shot in an investigation that has been running for more than three years.
At last count, there were 19 legal actions against Trump, including seven relating to “insurrection,” six relating to Trump’s financials, two for election interference, and one for sexual misconduct. Three other suits involving Alexander Vindman, Michael Cohen, and protesters outside of Trump Tower are ongoing.
But this particular legal action appears to have expired for lack of evidence. How many more of these legal actions will suffer the same fate?