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."
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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.
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