Crime & Justice

Investigation into Trump Organization now ‘criminal,’ says attorney general

New York City, US, May 19 (EFE).- The New York Attorney General’s office has announced that it has expanded its civil probe into the Trump Organization to include a “criminal capacity.”

The state investigation joins that of the Manhattan district attorney’s office into former United States president Donald Trump’s business conglomerate.

“We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the Organization is no longer purely civil in nature,” Fabien Levy, a spokesman for Attorney General Letitia James’ office, said in a statement.

“We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. We have no additional comment.”

The organization is a holding company for hundreds of entities ranging from estates and residential properties to luxury hotels and golf courses.

James’ investigation reportedly focuses on whether the Trump conglomerate falsely reported property values to secure loans and whether it paid the correct taxes for the transactions it carried out.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr’s probe began by investigating hush money paid to two women who allegedly had affairs with Trump before the 2016 election, but has reportedly expanded to include allegations of bank and insurance fraud, among other things.

In February, after a legal battle, Vance obtained Trump’s tax returns.

The criminal notification brings a new level of legal risk for Trump, who has stated he intends to run again for the presidency in the next election.

Trump has previously said that the investigation by the New York attorney general is politically motivated. EFE

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