Democratic prosecutors have been trying to find criminal behavior by former President Donald Trump, but after months of looking have come up short. Now, the two top prosecutors heading the Manhattan district attorney’s criminal investigation have suddenly resigned without citing a reason. The Associated Press has the story:
District Attorney Alvin Bragg hinted that he had doubts about validity of investigation into Trump
NEW YORK (AP) — The two prosecutors in charge of the Manhattan district attorney’s criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump and his business dealings suddenly resigned Wednesday, throwing the future of the probe into question.
A spokesperson for District Attorney Alvin Bragg confirmed the resignations of Carey Dunne and former mafia prosecutor Mark Pomerantz. Both started on the probe under former District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and were asked to stay when Bragg took office in January.
Dunne, the office’s former general counsel, argued before the U.S. Supreme Court in a successful fight for Trump’s tax records. Pomerantz was brought out of private practice by Vance last year to add his expertise in white collar investigations to the probe.
“We are grateful for their service,” said Bragg’s spokesperson, Danielle Filson. She declined to comment further, saying the investigation is ongoing.
The New York Times, citing sources, reported that Dunne and Pomerantz quit after Bragg raised doubts about pursuing a case against Trump.
Messages seeking comment were left for Dunne and Pomerantz.
The D.A.’s office investigation led to tax fraud charges last July against Trump’s company, the Trump Organization, and its longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg.
Weisselberg was accused of collecting more than $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation, including apartment rent, car payments and school tuition. He and the company have pleaded not guilty.
On Tuesday, lawyers for Weisselberg and the Trump Organization filed court papers seeking to throw out the case. Weisselberg’s lawyers argued the D.A.’s office was targeting him as punishment because he wouldn’t flip on the former president.
Just last month, Bragg said he was proud of the continuity that Dunne and Pomerantz had brought in running the high-profile investigation through the transition from Vance’s administration to his leadership.
“I do think the one continuity is the staffing and (Vance) brought on incredible lawyers to do it,” Bragg said in a Jan. 20 question-and-answer session with reporters.
“And they’ve been dedicated and we’ve been working and keeping them in place and thinking about the kind of resources to continue the investigation in order to then be in a position to make” decisions on the direction of the probe, Bragg said.
Bragg, limited by ethics rules from discussing the case in detail, said at the time that he was getting up to speed on the Trump investigation and that he would “follow the facts.” He didn’t offer a timeline for a charging decision.
“It’s a matter that’s personally, as you would imagine, on my radar screen and that I’m mindful of and paying attention to,” Bragg said.
