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Donald Trump might have sailed through his second impeachment trial – but he’s still facing a looming legal nightmare over his murky business dealings.
The 74-year-old made headline after headline following his stunning election defeat and refusal to accept it, followed by the shocking January 6 Capitol riots and his role in inciting it. Now Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance has been quietly bolstering his investigation into the former president’s financial affairs.
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But the probe appears to have stepped up a notch following the appointment of high-profile mob lawyer Mark Pomerantz.
He’s the man who helped bring down gangster John Gotti – the former head of the Gambino crime family – as well as other mobsters.
Mr Pomerantz’s appointment was first reported by The New York Times, with the publication explaining that the investigation is centred on “possible tax and bank-related fraud, including whether the Trump Organisation misled its lenders or local tax authorities about the value of his properties to obtain loans and tax benefits”.
The appointment has been interpreted as a blow for the former president, with Vanity Fair describing it as “perhaps a sign of trouble”, especially given Mr Pomerantz has already spoken with Mr Trump’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen.
While the district attorney’s office has remained tight-lipped about the investigation, court filings reveal it is concentrating on “possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct” at the Trump Organisation.
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It will examine the alleged falsification of records, and insurance and tax fraud.
A separate, civil probe led by New York Attorney-General Letitia James is also looking into allegations Mr Trump may have falsely reported property values.
Mr Trump has labelled the investigation a “witch hunt” and he is now forging ahead with his post-White House life, announcing he will be a keynote speaker at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida on February 28.
It will be his first public move in 2021 after leaving office and surviving his second impeachment trial.
MAN WHO BROUGHT DOWN MAFIA BOSS
Mr Pomerantz, 69, has enjoyed a decades-long, high-profile legal career after prosecuting former Gambino crime family boss John Angelo “Junior” Gotti in the 1990s, along with other organised crime figures.
John A Gotti took over as head of the crime family in 1992 after his father – John J Gotti – was sent to jail, but he was slapped with his own prison term in 1999 due to racketeering offences.
Mr Pomerantz, who is now in private practice and has taken a leave of absence, “has handled major matters and internal investigations involving all aspects of alleged corporate misconduct, including securities and bank fraud, mail and wire fraud”, according to his profile on the University of Pennsylvania site.
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