Trump appears poised to avoid criminal charges in Manhattan grand jury probe


The grand jury assigned to the Manhattan district attorney's investigation into Donald Trump is wrapping up this week without any criminal charges against the former president, suggesting he "will not be indicted in Manhattan in the foreseeable future — if at all," reports The New York Times.
Trump was facing criminal charges as the probe looked into his financial dealings and those of the Trump Organization, but Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg has reportedly stopped presenting the grand jury any evidence on Trump in recent weeks. The former "war room" prosecutors dedicated to preparing for grand jury presentations in the Trump probe has shuttered, and the grand jury expires at the end of the month.
Prosecutors still could form another jury to continue determining whether Trump falsely inflated the value of his assets, but given the trajectory of the case, it seems unlikely, says the Times. Some sources "believe that it will not result in an indictment of the former president unless a witness cooperates unexpectedly — a long shot in an investigation that has been running for more than three years."
Subscribe to 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.
Bragg's case is separate from that of New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is investigating the same conduct. That case is expected to take action against Trump, but because "her investigation is civil, Ms. James can bring a lawsuit, but not criminal charges," writes the Times.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
DHS preps for major ICE expansion, rankling local law enforcement
IN THE SPOTLIGHT As the Trump administration positions ICE as the primary federal police force, its recruitment efforts have been met with a less-than-enthusiastic response
-
Trump officials reinstating 2 Confederate monuments
Speed Read The administration has plans to 'restore Confederate names and symbols' discarded in the wake of George Floyd's 2020 murder
-
Trump nominates Powell critic for vacant Fed seat
speed read Stephen Miran, the chair of Trump's Council of Economic Advisers and a fellow critic of Fed chair Jerome Powell, has been nominated to fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors
-
JD Vance rises as MAGA heir apparent
IN THE SPOTLIGHT The vice president is taking an increasingly proactive role in a MAGA movement roiled by scandal and anxious about a post-Trump future
-
Congress should 'step in' to block Trump's White House ballroom makeover
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
ICE scraps age limits amid hiring push
Speed Read Anyone 18 or older can now apply to be an ICE agent
-
Trump's global tariffs take effect, with new additions
Speed Read Tariffs on more than 90 US trading partners went into effect, escalating the global trade war
-
House committee subpoenas Epstein files
Speed Read The House Oversight Committee has issued a subpoena to the Justice Department for its Jeffrey Epstein files with an Aug. 19 deadline