Federal investigators on Monday searched Mar-a-Lago as part of an investigation into whether former president Donald Trump took classified documents from the White House when he left office. It’s not the only potential criminal probe that has circled Trump:
An investigation by New York’s attorney general
New York State Attorney General Letitia James is probing potential fraudulent asset valuations at the Trump Organization.
James’s office said in May 2021 that the investigation into the Trump Organization was shifting to a criminal inquiry.
“We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the company is no longer purely civil in nature,” said Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for the attorney general’s office said in May 2021. “We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. We have no additional comment at this time.”
Advertisement
Also in May 2021, James said that she assigned two lawyers to work with the Manhattan district’s attorney’s office on the investigation.
An investigation by the Manhattan district attorney
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg hasn’t ruled out a case against the former president after he charged the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer with tax avoidance schemes.
The Trump Organization was charged in July 2021 with running a 15-year scheme to help its executives evade taxes by compensating them with fringe benefits that were hidden from authorities.
The Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has been conducting the investigation alongside the New York attorney general, also accused a top executive, Allen H. Weisselberg, of avoiding taxes on $1.7 million in perks that should have been reported as income. Weisselberg, Trump’s long-serving and trusted chief financial officer, faces grand larceny, tax fraud, and other charges.
Possible election interference in Georgia
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is looking into possible election interference in Georgia, where Trump famously called the secretary of state and asked him to “find” 11,780 more votes.
Advertisement
In February 2021, Fulton County prosecutors initiated the criminal investigation.
“This investigation includes, but is not limited to, potential violations of Georgia law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local governmental bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office, and any involvement in violence or threats related to the election’s administration,” states a letter sent to numerous state officials, including Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, requesting that they preserve documents related to “an investigation into attempts to influence the administration of the 2020 Georgia General Election.”
A special grand jury with subpoena power was seated in May at Willis’ request.
In July, Willis filed petitions seeking to compel testimony from seven Trump advisers and associates, including Rudy Giuliani, a Trump lawyer and former New York City mayor.
Among them is Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, who received a subpoena that was issued on July 26 and orders him to appear before the special grand jury to testify on Aug. 23, his lawyers said in a court filing. Graham is seeking to have the challenge to the subpoena heard in federal court in Atlanta rather than before the Fulton County Superior Court judge who’s overseeing the special grand jury.
Justice Department’s investigation into efforts to overturn 2020 election
The Justice Department is using a grand jury in Washington to investigate efforts by Trump and his inner circle to create false electors and pressure former vice president Mike Pence to overturn the 2020 election.
Advertisement
Officials have said that the Justice Department and FBI were examining the issue of false electors, who Trump and others hoped might be approved by state legislators in a last-ditch bid to keep Trump in the White House.
In June, federal agents dropped subpoenas on people in at least two states, The Washington Post reported.
One was the home of Brad Carver, a Georgia lawyer who allegedly signed a document claiming to be a Trump elector. The other was the Virginia home of Thomas Lane, who worked on the Trump campaign’s efforts in Arizona and New Mexico. The FBI officials did not identify the people associated with those addresses, but public records list each of the locations as the home addresses of the men.
At least some of the would-be Trump electors in Michigan also received subpoenas in June, the Post reported.
It comes as a House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection has held a number of public hearings over the summer detailing the panel’s findings and interviewing witnesses.
Material from Globe wire services was used in this report.