Grand jury convened in NY criminal Trump probe, signaling charges could be coming

Former American president Donald Trump

The prosecutor overseeing the criminal probe into former President Donald Trump’s business dealings has convened, a move that signals charges could be coming.

The Washington Post reported Tuesday that a special grand jury had been convened to hear evidence against Trump’s close orbit and his company, the Trump Organization, and that it could decide on any indictments.

Cyrus Vance, the Manhattan district attorney, recently convened the grand jury that will sit three days a week for six months, the Post reported, citing two people familiar with the development.

The Post also said in its report that the grand jury will hear evidence in other cases as well during that time.

Vance is conducting investigation into a variety of matters such as hush-money payments paid to women on Trump’s behalf, property valuations and employee compensation.

Prosecutors want to determine whether Trump overvalued his properties and obscured debts in order to obtain valuable loans and other financial negotiations.

Vance launched the investigation into the Trump Organization and its top executives after it was revealed that former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen paid Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her accusation that she had sex with Trump. The former president has denied the allegation.

Vance is coordinating his probe with New York Attorney General Letitia James in their overlapping inquiries. Last week, James’s office said it was investigating the Trump Organization in a “criminal capacity” as well as a “civil capacity.”

Following the Post’s report, Trump blasted the move, calling it “a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in American history.”

“No other President in history has had to put up with what I have had to, and on top of all that, I have done a great job for our Country, whether it’s taxes, regulations, our Military, Veterans, Space Force, our Borders, speedy creation of a great vaccine (said to be a miracle!), and protecting the Second Amendment.”

“This is purely political, and an affront to the almost 75 million voters who supported me in the Presidential Election, and it’s being driven by highly partisan Democrat prosecutors,” he added.