Trump lashes out at NY prosecutors as his lawyers argue against criminal charges

Former President Trump denied wrongdoing and attacked New York prosecutors as politically motivated after they gave his attorneys a Monday deadline to make their final arguments about why his company shouldn’t face criminal charges related to its financial dealings.

“After hundreds of subpoenas, over 3 million pages of documents, 4 years of searching, dozens and dozens of interviews, and millions of dollars of taxpayer funds wasted, they continue to be ‘in search of a crime’ and will do anything to frighten people into making up the stories or lies that they want, but have been totally unable to get,” Trump said in a statement targeting prosecutors in New York City and New York state. He went on to call the investigation into the Trump Organization “a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt of all time.” 

“They will do anything to stop the MAGA movement (and me), even if it involves prosecutorial misconduct and harassment of a political opponent, which they are using at levels rarely seen before,” Trump added. “They leak, they lie, and they campaign based on information that has already been gone through in other of the many investigations I have put up with.”

In his statement, Trump appeared to confirm his team was given until Monday to make its case to prosecutors against potential criminal charges. He also argued that the case against his business was weak, saying he was under investigation for “things that are standard practice throughout the U.S. business community, and in no way a crime.”

The Washington Post reported that investigators may be targeting whether the Trump Organization used misleading valuations of its properties to deceive lenders and taxing authorities as well as whether taxes were paid on fringe benefits for company executives.

Trump repeated his belief that New York prosecutors see it as politically beneficial to go after him given his unpopularity in the Democratic stronghold of New York City, and he called those involved in the case “a disgrace to our nation” without specifically naming any single official. 

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr.’s (D) office has reportedly been investigating an array of potential financial misconduct, including criminal fraud, involving the Trump Organization. Vance earlier this year convened a grand jury to weigh criminal evidence against the company and its top executives.

Vance is now working alongside New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) after the two separately investigated Trump’s business. The Washington Post reported prosecutors were looking at potential charges against the Trump Organization as an entity as well as its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg.