Atty Cyrus Vance Jr who is investigating Trump will not seek re-election

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr said on Friday he will not seek re-election in November, making it likely that his criminal investigation into former U.S. President Donald Trump will be left for his successor.

The decision by Vance, 66, not to seek a fourth term raises questions about the potential timing for the probe into Trump that has accelerated since the Republican candidate lost his bid for a second term to President Joe Biden.

Vance’s office has said that it was investigating “possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct” including tax and insurance fraud and falsification of business records at the former president’s Trump Organization.

The probe got a big boost last month when Vance’s office finally obtained eight years of Trump’s tax returns after an 18-month court battle.

If indicted, Trump, who remains popular among many Republicans, would be the first former president to face criminal prosecution.

Vance, who has overseen many high-profile cases, including last year’s conviction of Hollywood film producer Harvey Weinstein on rape and sexual assault charges, gave no specific reason for his decision not to run again.

“I never imagined myself as District Attorney for decades like my predecessors,” he said in a statement.