Manhattan prosecutor leading Trump investigation will not seek re-election
On Friday, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr said he will not seek re-election in November, making it possible that his criminal investigation into former U.S. President Donald Trump will be left for his successor.
Vance’s decision not to seek a fourth term raises questions about the potential timing for the probe into Trump, who would be, if indicated, the first former President to face criminal prosecution.
The probe has quickened since Republican Trump lost his bid for a second to Democrat President Joe Biden.
It gained a boost last month when Vance’s office finally obtained eight years of Trump’s tax returns after an 18-month court battle, including two trips to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Millions of pages of documents including the tax returns, business records, and communications were turned over by Trump’s accountants at Mazars USA LLP.
Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael Cohen, told Reuters he was going for a seventh interview with Vance’s office on Wednesday as part of the investigation.
Vance’s office has said in court filings that the investigation is about to find if there was “possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct” at the former president’s Trump Organization, including tax and insurance fraud and falsification of business records.
