Trump ‘guilty’ of financial fraud, says prosecutor who resigned

(New York) Donald Trump is “guilty” of “numerous” offenses, including financial fraud, said a prosecutor who stormed out of an investigation a month ago, according to excerpts from his resignation letter published on Wednesday by the New York Times.

Posted at 10:13 p.m.

Mark Pomerantz resigned on February 23, along with the other prosecutor Carey Dunne, from a criminal investigation targeting the former American president.


PHOTO MARY ALTAFFER, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES

Prosecutor Mark Pomerantz

Excerpts from the letter published Wednesday by the American daily confirm that they both resigned from their functions to protest against the choice of the new district attorney of Manhattan Alvin Bragg not to indict the Republican billionaire.

Such a decision was “contrary to the public interest,” Mr. Pomerantz wrote in his resignation letter, according to the New York Times. “The team that investigated Mr. Trump has no doubts whether or not he committed offenses – he did,” he added.

This criminal case relates in particular to suspicions of fraudulent evaluations of assets within the Trump Organization – which includes golf clubs, luxury hotels and other real estate properties – to obtain more advantageous loans from banks or to reduce its taxes.

The two prosecutors planned to indict Donald Trump for falsifying financial documents, according to the daily.

Mr. Bragg assured to continue the investigation, without the two resigners.

If it relates to the same facts, this investigation is distinct from the civil file led by the Attorney General of the State of New York Letitia James. She asked, so far unsuccessfully, the former president and two of his children, Donald Jr. and Ivanka, to testify under oath.

The criminal investigation has already led to the indictment in July of the Trump Organization and its historic financial director Allen Weisselberg, in particular for tax evasion concerning the income and benefits of this close friend of the former American president. Donald Trump’s group and Mr. Weisselberg have pleaded not guilty and a trial is expected in 2022.

At the same time, a grand jury was convened on the aspect concerning the suspicions of fraudulent evaluations of assets, to decide on possible indictments. It is in this section that the prosecution obtained before the Supreme Court the tax returns of the former New York tycoon, the first American president since the 1970s not to have published them.

The former president casts doubt on his intention to seek his party’s nomination again for the 2024 presidential election.


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