Trump's business empire in the crosshairs of a criminal investigation

The Trump Organization, the conglomerate owned by the family of former US President Donald Trump, is the subject of a criminal investigation, the New York state attorney announced Tuesday. “We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the organization is no longer purely civil in nature,” said a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office, Letitia James. “We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in criminal matters, along with with the Manhattan district attorney. ” The organization is the holding company for hundreds of Trump entities, from hotels to golf courses. Trump, who left the White House in January, denies any wrongdoing and has previously qualified the district attorney’s investigation into his finances. of Manhattan, Democrat Cyrus Vance, as “a continuation of the greatest political witch hunt in the history of our country.” Meanwhile, James’ office has also been investigating allegations of bank fraud and insurance fraud through The Trump Organization beefed up its legal team with the hiring of 84-year-old veteran criminal lawyer Ronald Fischetti in early April. The district attorney’s investigation initially focused on payments to buy his silence made to two women who claim to have had affairs with Trump, but it has expanded to allegations of tax evasion and bank and insurance fraud. It is taking place behind closed doors in front of a grand jury, and it appeared to be moving forward when Vance’s team received eight years of Trump tax returns in March.Six months after losing the presidential election in the United States, millions of Republicans continue to view Trump as their leader, despite his repeated unsubstantiated claims that President Joe Biden prevailed with fraud.