Manhattan prosecutor who resigned says Trump is guilty of 'numerous' felonies
In his resignation letter, Manhattan prosecutor Mark F. Pomerantz wrote that after investigating former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization, he believes Trump is "guilty of numerous felony violations," The New York Times reports.
Pomerantz also said it would be a "grave failure of justice" not to hold Trump accountable.
The letter, which was obtained by the Times, was submitted on Feb. 23 to new Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg. Pomerantz and Carey R. Dunne, another senior prosecutor involved in the inquiry into Trump, resigned after Bragg paused pursuing an indictment of the former president. Bragg's decision, Pomerantz wrote, was "contrary to the public interest. The team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes — he did."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Pomerantz and Dunne intended to charge Trump with falsifying business records, specifically his annual financial statements, the Times reports. This is a felony in New York state, and if Pomerantz and Dunne had secured an indictment, Trump would have become the first American president to face criminal charges.
The Times reported in early March that the prosecutors and Bragg disagreed about whether they could prove Trump knowingly falsified the value of his assets on the annual financial statements. In his letter, Pomerantz wrote that before leaving office, Bragg's predecessor, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., directed prosecutors to pursue an indictment of Trump and "other defendants as soon as reasonably possible." He did not list any names.
"No case is perfect," Pomerantz wrote. "Whatever the risks of bringing the case may be, I am convinced that a failure to prosecute will pose much greater risks in terms of public confidence in the fair administration of justice."
The district attorney's office said the investigation into Trump is ongoing, and as such, Bragg cannot comment on its specifics. Pomerantz warned in his letter that "I and others believe that your decision not to authorize prosecution now will doom any future prospects that Mr. Trump will be prosecuted for the criminal conduct we have been investigating." Read more at The New York Times.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Roofman: a ‘stranger than fiction’ taleThe Week Recommends Channing Tatum walks ‘effortlessly’ between comedy and tragedy
-
Political cartoons for October 23Cartoons Thursday’s political cartoons include Mike Johnson's pumpkin patch, great news for crypto scammers, and a suspicious white sheet
-
The UK-made Storm Shadow missiles Ukraine is using in RussiaThe Explainer Ukraine reportedly deployed the long-range British missiles this week, following a tense meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump
-
Will California’s Proposition 50 kill gerrymandering reform?Talking Points Or is opposing Trump the greater priority for voters?
-
‘The trickle of shutdowns could soon become a flood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Bailouts: Why Trump is rescuing ArgentinaFeature The White House approved a $20 billion currency swap with Argentina
-
Judge halts firings during government shutdownFeature A federal judge blocked President Trump’s plan to cut jobs tied to “Democrat programs,” ruling that his administration violated layoff laws during the shutdown
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
‘France may well be in store for a less than rocambolesque future’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
