Refuting claims that he has lost interest in going after Donald Trump, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said Thursday that the criminal investigation into the former president and his business practices continues, despite recent changes in the direction of the research.
In a rare public statement, Bragg denied that the three-year investigation was coming to an end or that the grand jury’s term that expires this month impeded his office’s ability to bring charges.
NEW from Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg: The Office’s investigation concerning former President Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, and its leadership is ongoing.
Full statement here 🔽https://t.co/f3A2sB03wq
— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) April 7, 2022
Citing confidentiality rules, the district attorney said he could not discuss the details of the investigation, but promised to publicly disclose the findings when he is done.
“In recent weeks, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office has been repeatedly asked if our investigation related to former President Donald J. Trump, the Trump Organization and their leadership is continuing,” Bragg wrote. “It is.”
The claim was part of a double dose of bad legal news for Trump on Thursday.
Previously, New York Attorney General Letitia James asked a court to fine former President Donald Trump $10,000 a day for failing to deliver necessary documents in an investigation into his businesses.
James argued in court papers that a fine “sufficient in amount to compel compliance” should be assessed after Trump missed a court-imposed March 31 deadline for handing over the documents.
“My office is filing a motion to hold Donald Trump in contempt of court,” James wrote in a social media post.
“Despite a clear court order, Donald Trump has refused to turn over documents as part of our investigation into him and the Trump Organization’s financial dealings,” the message added.
My office is filing a motion to hold Donald Trump in contempt of court.
Despite a crystal clear order from the court, Donald Trump has refused to turn over documents as part of our investigation into him and the Trump Organization’s financial dealings.
– NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) April 7, 2022
Trump has appealed a ruling in February requiring him to answer questions under oath in the civil investigation, but he has not appealed a ruling imposing a deadline on him to turn over the documents, James said.
A message requesting comment was sent to Trump’s attorney.
Democrat James has said her investigation into the former Republican president’s business practices has uncovered evidence that he misreported the value of assets such as golf courses and skyscrapers on his financial statements for more than a decade.
His office has said it wants Trump’s testimony and documents to determine whether his inaccurate reports to lenders, tax authorities and others constituted fraud and, if so, who committed the crime.
Last week, in a related matter, a judge ordered weekly reports from a digital forensics company hired by the Trump Organization to deliver evidence to James’ office, citing concerns that the process was slower than anticipated.
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