Trump could face tax fraud probe, Manhattan prosecutor says

By Jonathan Stempel

 

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, before his departure on campaign travel to Fayetteville, North Carolina, U.S., September 19, 2020. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

 

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Manhattan's district attorney said on Monday he might have grounds to investigate President Donald Trump and his businesses for tax fraud, as he seeks to persuade a federal appeals court to let him obtain Trump's tax returns.

 

Lawyers for District Attorney Cyrus Vance made the assertion in a filing with the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan, four days before it considers Trump's request to block Vance's August 2019 subpoena for the tax returns.

 

The lawyers said the "mountainous" public allegations of misconduct, including misstatements about business properties, could justify a grand jury probe into possible tax fraud, insurance fraud and falsifying business records.

 

"Even if the grand jury were testing the truth of public allegations alone, such reports, taken together, fully justify the scope of the grand jury subpoena," Vance's lawyers wrote, without accusing Trump or his businesses of wrongdoing.

 

Jay Sekulow, a lawyer for Trump, declined to comment on the filing.

 

Among the reports Vance's office cited were allegations that Trump routinely sent lenders financial statements that inflated his assets and omitted debt-laden properties, and from 2004 to 2014 paid $400 million in cash for "five houses, eight golf courses and a winery" despite billions of dollars in debt.

 

They also included the case of Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen, who pleaded guilty to campaign finance and other charges, and testified to Congress it was common for the Trump Organization to falsify records when seeking loans.

 

Vance had previously said his probe also related to reports of "possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct" at the Trump Organization, including possible insurance and bank fraud by the company and its officers.

 

Trump, a Republican, has said the subpoena from Vance, a Democrat, to his accounting firm Mazars USA for eight years of his personal and corporate tax returns was "wildly overbroad" and issued in bad faith to harass him.

 

The president made that argument after the U.S. Supreme Court in July rejected his earlier claim of immunity from criminal investigations while in the White House.

 

Trump is now appealing U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero's Aug. 20 ruling allowing the subpoena's enforcement.

 

But lawyers for Vance said Trump's arguments, including that the Mazars subpoena largely copied an earlier subpoena from Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives, were "recycled" from when he claimed immunity.

 

The lawyers called Marrero's review "meticulous," after Trump had accused the judge of dismissively rejecting his arguments as a "back-door" means to immunity.

 

Oral arguments are set for Sept. 25 before a panel of three judges, all appointed by Democratic presidents.

 

Though the appeal was fast-tracked, it is unlikely the public will know what's in Trump's tax returns before the Nov. 3 election.

 

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Additional reporting by Karen Freifeld; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Tom Brown)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-09-22

 

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Well yea of course it’s one of the reasons he’s corrupting the department of justice let’s just get rid of this headache this November deal with his attempt at a coup then lock him up nuff said 

14 minutes ago, PatOngo said:

How much longer can this BS continue, it's been going on for years...........either s*** or get off the pot!

Of course it's going on for years, with the suspect being in a unique position and trying to hide his financials. It will come out, either way, but is taking a long time.

11 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Of course it's going on for years, with the suspect being in a unique position and trying to hide his financials. It will come out, either way, but is taking a long time.

There are times when you can draw parallels between USA and Thailand! USA is NOT the most advanced country as they claim!

No politics involved here folks...just a good hard working prosecutor doing his job...????

3 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

No politics involved here folks...just a good hard working prosecutor doing his job...????

Well then just show them nothing to hide nothing to fear ehhh

4 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

No politics involved here folks...just a good hard working prosecutor doing his job...????

 

Yeah, and no President is using his position to dodge legal matters. Move along.

7 hours ago, Tug said:

Well yea of course it’s one of the reasons he’s corrupting the department of justice let’s just get rid of this headache this November deal with his attempt at a coup then lock him up nuff said 

 

 

 

And what about Biden? Should the Ukraine corruption questions be swept under the carpet?

 

Is it possible for politically motivated prosecutors and judges to persecute someone due to political motivations in the US?

 

If so, will republican biased prosecutors and judges stare demanding the tax returns and bank account details of all leading democrat politicians?

 

Can any US citizen just be targeted? 

 

If so, seems more like the old East Germany or China than the leader of the free world.

9 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

 

 

And what about Biden? Should the Ukraine corruption questions be swept under the carpet?

 

Is it possible for politically motivated prosecutors and judges to persecute someone due to political motivations in the US?

 

If so, will republican biased prosecutors and judges stare demanding the tax returns and bank account details of all leading democrat politicians?

 

Can any US citizen just be targeted? 

 

If so, seems more like the old East Germany or China than the leader of the free world.

There is no ‘Ukraine Corruption question’.

 

And let’s remember, Trump made a campaign promise to release his taxes.

Tax fraud or bank fraud: one or the other

Fraud should be Trump's middle name: his "university" and his "charity" come to mind: they were frauds, were settled as a matter of record. Explain those, trumpers...

49 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

There is no ‘Ukraine Corruption question’.

 

And let’s remember, Trump made a campaign promise to release his taxes.

Typical Trumpian deflection so annoying!!! You don't get away with breaking the law by pointing out what someone else may or may not have done!!! The two things ARE NOT CONNECTED!! Only Trump is responsible for all the crimes he has committed. Conspiracy theories don't get you a get out of jail free card!

51 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

There is no ‘Ukraine Corruption question’.

 

And let’s remember, Trump made a campaign promise to release his taxes.

and YES! "Any U.S. citizen can be targeted"!! and many are each year by the Internal Revenue Service, much to their dismay :(

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

 

 

And what about Biden? Should the Ukraine corruption questions be swept under the carpet?

 

Is it possible for politically motivated prosecutors and judges to persecute someone due to political motivations in the US?

 

If so, will republican biased prosecutors and judges stare demanding the tax returns and bank account details of all leading democrat politicians?

 

Can any US citizen just be targeted? 

 

If so, seems more like the old East Germany or China than the leader of the free world.

Yes! Any U.S. citizen can and many are, targeted each year by the Internal Revenue Service. 

11 minutes ago, Dap said:

Yes! Any U.S. citizen can and many are, targeted each year by the Internal Revenue Service. 

How many get away with not complying with requests from IRS for information......

regards worgeordie

2 minutes ago, worgeordie said:

How many get away with not complying with requests from IRS for information......

regards worgeordie

LOL! Death is a viable reason for a no show.

Trump has been getting away with so much for so long, he may believe himself untouchable.  But the chickens are coming home to roost....and right soon.

 

[For the past four years, they have been weighing the case against Trump: the evidence already gathered, the witnesses prepared to testify, the political and constitutional issues involved in prosecuting an ex-president. Once he leaves office, they agree, there is good reason to think Trump will face criminal charges.

…Trump could become the first former president in American history to find himself on trial — and perhaps even behind bars.]

 

https://news.yahoo.com/why-trump-could-possibly-end-213035676.html

Lock him up.

 

He and his criminal organization should get the attention they deserve.

 

He was incredibly lucky that the probe into his fraudulent "Trump University" wasn't completed before he was elected, otherwise he would have ended up in prison for that already back then.

Trump better start being nice to Biden if he expect a pardon. Al Capone was sentenced 11 years for tax fraud. 

Vance is a Democrat, and a creep of the first order. Timing arranged to coincide with the run up to the November election, of course. 

2 minutes ago, Thingamabob said:

Vance is a Democrat, and a creep of the first order. Timing arranged to coincide with the run up to the November election, of course. 

 

Other than you saying so, how is Vance a 'creep of the first order'? As for the timing, might have something to do with the President's repeated attempts to delay and deflect legal action or provide information.

Edited September 22, 20205 yr by Morch

As the Attorney General of the United States has indicated...prosecutors are targeting political figures... then looking for a crime!

 

Not the American way...

28 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

As the Attorney General of the United States has indicated...prosecutors are targeting political figures... then looking for a crime!

 

Not the American way...

 

If the AG was someone not obviously partisan and bent on doing his master's bidding rather than his job, maybe his (supposed) words would have carried more weight.

5 hours ago, Baerboxer said:

 

 

 

And what about Biden? Should the Ukraine corruption questions be swept under the carpet?

 

Is it possible for politically motivated prosecutors and judges to persecute someone due to political motivations in the US?

 

If so, will republican biased prosecutors and judges stare demanding the tax returns and bank account details of all leading democrat politicians?

 

Can any US citizen just be targeted? 

 

If so, seems more like the old East Germany or China than the leader of the free world.

Donald allready tryed that slander it dident work now he’s trying to accuse Biden of beeing on drugs naaa the slander innuendo isent working anymore everyone is on to his little tricks not every American is a rube or mark

The tax laws should not be used as a political club.  

A trolling post with multiple Trump memes has been removed. This is a forum of words, not memes.

 

 

2 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

As the Attorney General of the United States has indicated...prosecutors are targeting political figures... then looking for a crime!

 

Not the American way...

Having a traitor-criminal as president is not the American way.

2 hours ago, Puchaiyank said:

As the Attorney General of the United States has indicated...prosecutors are targeting political figures... then looking for a crime!

 

Not the American way...

It wasn’t a problem when in the final run up the 2016 election Comey issued his letter stating Clinton was to be investigated.

3 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Vance is a Democrat, and a creep of the first order. Timing arranged to coincide with the run up to the November election, of course. 

Not actually Trump has been appealing this for years. It just so happen the Supreme Court finished with it a month or so ago with the judgement no President is immune from a state investigation but go back to court and submit a different reason. Do a bit of reasearch before posting.

Donald Trump has been a cheat all of his life it is ingrained in his soul. He shold have never run for president and won, he made himself a target and all of his back room deals and flat out cheating will be uncovered.

How far back do these "allegations" go? Oh the timing... Mafia style politics do work. Just go vote folks... thank you for your participation. These people are (s)elected. Ever heard of a dialectic?