Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NY AG Letitia James Joins Manhattan DA's Criminal Investigation Into Trump Organization
By
Jen Chung
Published May 19, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock
By
Jen Chung
Published May 19, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The New York Attorney General's office will be joining the Manhattan District Attorney's years-long criminal investigation of the Trump Organization.
A spokesperson for Attorney General Letitia James told CNN on Thursday, "We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the organization is no longer purely civil in nature. We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. We have no additional comment."
James' office had been looking into whether the former president's company had inflated the value of their various properties in order to obtain loans and other tax benefits. The Trump Organization previously called the civil inquiry is politically motivated, as James is a Democrat.
One of the properties in the crosshairs is a 213-acre property in Westchester County, Seven Springs, that is also part of Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's probe.The Supreme Court in February denied Donald Trump's attempt to block Vance's office from obtaining eight years of personal and business tax returns, and the Manhattan DA received years of the financial records the next month.
The NY Times reports, "It is unclear what role Ms. James’s office will play in that aspect of the investigation. In the collaboration, two assistant attorneys general from Ms. James’s office are joining the district attorney’s team, people with knowledge of the matter said." The Trump Organization declined to comment, according to CNN and NY Times.
Trump Tower
John Minchillo/AP/Shutterstock
In addition to looking at whether the Trump Organization overvalued properties, the Manhattan DA's office has been focused on the alleged hush-money payments to multiple women Trump had relationships with, as his former attorney Michael Cohen said he paid the women off and was reimbursed (and Cohen produced receipts). Those payments have been variously characterized as reimbursements by Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani and as a legal retainer by Trump himself.
"[I]f Trump or anyone in his company misrepresented the illicit payoffs as legal expenses, they may have violated New York laws prohibiting the falsification of business records. Such crimes are usually misdemeanors, but they can become felonies if they were committed as part of other offenses, such as tax fraud or insurance fraud," according to the New Yorker.
Cohen, who has been cooperating with the Manhattan DA's office, tweeted about the AG's news:
Prosecutors from Vance's team, which includes a former federal prosecutor who also spent two decades defending white-collar clients, have been reportedly presenting evidence before a grand jury.
CNN is also reporting that Trump will be spending the rest of the spring, summer, and some of the early fall in New Jersey, at his golf club in Bedminster.
Tagged
westchester county
manhattan da
trump organization
new york attorney general
manhattan
new york
donald trump
letitia james
cy vance
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Gatorade recall affects drinks sold in New York and New Jersey
More than 122,000 cases are being recalled over undeclared food dyes.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 5, 2026 at 4:36 p.m. ET
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
News
Gov. Hochul declares upstate NY measles outbreak a ‘disaster emergency’
The declaration is driven by rising case counts in rural areas and in neighboring Pennsylvania.
By
Caroline Lewis
NYPD detective forced to retire after false statements in Brooklyn investigation
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani faces pressure to forge ahead with plan to fix polluting South Bronx market
By
Elizabeth Kim
Dominican man who shot border patrol officer in NYC sentenced to 15 years in prison
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .