We learned about a major change to the scope of the current New York Justice Department’s investigation into the Trump Organization. New York State Attorney General Letitia James’s office was already in the middle of a civil investigation of Donald Trump’s company. Now they are investigating the Trump Organization “in a criminal capacity,” according to a spokesperson. This is not the same investigation being done by the Manhattan District Attorney. Rather, this is being conducted in conjunction with the criminal investigation of Trump and the Trump Organization by the office of Manhattan prosecutor Cyrus Vance Jr.

The full statement from Letitia James’s spokesperson reads, “we have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the organization is no longer purely civil in nature. We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. We have no additional comment at this time.” Trump is employing his usual strategy of calling both investigations “witch hunts,” which suggests there could be something to both of them. This is partly all thanks to Michael Cohen, Trump's former attorney, who has said many times now that the Trump Organization misstated real estate valuations to reduce its tax liabilities and to get better loan and insurance terms. Trump threw Cohen under the bus years ago after Cohen went down for issuing a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels on Trump’s behalf. Maybe all this time later, Cohen will get his revenge and Trump will get his turn in court.

Criminal Investigation Cyrus Vance Jr. David Pakman District Attorney Donald Trump Letitia James Manhattan New York The David Pakman Show Trump Organization