Topline
Former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz pursued a sprawling racketeering investigation against former President Donald Trump, who he likens to infamous mob boss John Gotti in a new book that comes as a grand jury is weighing new criminal charges against Trump, The New York Times reported.
FILE — Attorney Mark Pomerantz arrives at Federal Court in New York, Aug. 12, 2002. Pomerantz writes … [+]
Key Facts
Trump engaged in “a pattern of criminal activity” and “demanded absolute loyalty” from his associates, while seeming to always stay one step ahead of the law,” Pomerantz reportedly writes in his book “People vs. Donald Trump,” which is expected to be published this month.
Pomerantz alleged he has “encountered only one other person who touched all of these bases” in his career as a lawyer: John Gotti, the head of the Gambino organized crime family.
Trump’s attorney, Joe Tacopino, threatened to pursue legal action against Pomerantz over the allegations in his book, telling The Times in a statement that “injecting the name John Gotti into this seems like just another desperate attempt” to sell books.
The book comes as the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has reportedly impaneled a grand jury to consider charges against Trump for his role in hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.
Key Background
Pomerantz resigned from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office last year over its delay in seeking charges against Trump for allegedly overinflating the value of his assets in loan applications. Publication of his upcoming book comes on the heels of Trump’s announcement for a third presidential run and as Trump faces ongoing probes into his business practices and handling of classified government documents after leaving office. The Manhattan District Attorney’s probe, which dates back to 2019, has netted tax fraud convictions against the Trump Organization and its CFO Allen Weisselberg for failing to report compensation in an effort to skirt taxes.
What To Watch For
A grand jury will deliberate over the next six months whether to charge Trump for his role in hush money payments to Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign, The Times reported last month. Trump’s former personal attorney, Michael Cohen, pleaded guilty to campaign finance charges and tax evasion in the case in 2018. The grand jury is reportedly considering whether Trump illegally covered up the $130,000 payment Cohen made to Daniels in exchange for her silence about their 2006 affair–money the Trump Organization allegedly reimbursed Cohen for.
Further Reading
Manhattan DA Insists Criminal Probe Into Trump Still Ongoing Despite High-Profile Resignations (Forbes)
Trump Could Face Charges For Stormy Daniels Payments As Manhattan DA Reportedly Convenes Grand Jury (Forbes)
Trump Organization Ordered To Pay $1.6 Million For Tax Fraud (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/02/03/trump-faced-racketeering-probe-for-pattern-of-criminal-activity-ex-prosecutor-reportedly-writes-in-new-book/