Fake property evaluations and pressuring officials to 'find' votes: All the evidence piling up in the criminal probes of Trump
- Investigations into Donald Trump's finances and conduct in office may soon result in criminal charges.
- New York prosecutors are investigating his taxes, and Georgia prosecutors his election influence.
- Trump also faces legal risks from the January 6 Capitol riot and Rudy Giuliani's Ukraine meddling.
Criminal probes into former President Donald Trump are heating up. The signs are everywhere.
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. empaneled a grand jury that will reportedly be used for an investigation into whether Trump fudged his personal and company finances. Charges could come as soon as Monday, according to the Washington Post.
The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James recently said its own investigation is now criminal in nature, and that it's joining forces with Vance.
Prosecutors from New York to Georgia are scrutinizing Trump's conduct before he took office, as well as actions he took as president.
Trump reportedly faces two more grand jury investigations into whether he illegally pressured Georgia officials to rig the 2020 election results.
In addition, criminal investigations are underway into the insurrection at the US Capitol and Rudy Giuliani's efforts in Ukraine to dig up dirt on Trump's 2020 presidential election rival, Joe Biden. Both present potential legal risks for Trump, although there's no evidence those prosecutors are currently targeting him.
Trump has dismissed all allegations against him - in the criminal probes as well as a litany of civil ones - as politically motivated.
Here's a rundown of the evidence that's been made public in each case so far, as well as clues to where the prosecution is headed.
Fudging finances
What did Trump do?
According to former Trump Organization executive Michael Cohen, the Trump Organization has maintained two sets of books when it comes to the company's finances. One depicts a rosy financial portrait, with inflated property valuations, for favorable loan and insurance rates; another shows great debts and low property valuations, Cohen has said, in order to pay little or nothing in taxes.
Prosecutors in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and New York state Attorney General's office appear to be examining whether Trump, the Trump Organization, or company executives broke state tax, bank, or insurance laws by misrepresenting the company's finances. The offices are working with each other, and the precise scope of each investigation remains unclear - for example, Vance also may be examining whether Trump broke campaign finance laws when he asked Cohen to pay porn star Stormy Daniels with Trump Organization funds to keep quiet about their alleged affair.
Jennifer Weisselberg, a cooperating witness in both investigations, has told Insider that Trump kept a grip on his executives' lives by giving them elaborate perks, like paying for apartments and their kids' tuition, to ensure their loyalty. Those perks also may have run afoul of tax laws.
What have prosecutors done so far?
On Tuesday, the Washington Post reported that Vance's office has empaneled a grand jury that will hear evidence and weigh charges for its investigation. The news followed an announcement from James's office that its own investigation was criminal in nature.
Vance's office has also secured landmark Supreme Court victories that gave it access to reams of financial documents, including tax returns.
Other recent moves from New York prosecutors appear to be focused on "flipping" Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's chief financial officer and personal bookkeeper of the Trump family. Weisselberg and his family members are being scrutinized in the probe, Jennifer Weisselberg, who is his former daughter-in-law, told Insider.
As the most knowledgeable person about Trump's finances, Allen Weisselberg could guide prosecutors and a jury through the documents in Vance's possession if he cooperates.
Pressuring officials to manipulate election results
What did Trump do?
On January 2, two months after Trump already lost the 2020 presidential election, including the electoral college votes in Georgia, Trump called Brad Raffensperger, the state's top election official.
In the call, Trump falsely said he was the true winner of the election, that thousands of dead people voted, and spouted various other conspiracy theories about how the election was conducted. Trump told Raffensperger to "look very carefully" at shredded ballots, something that did not happen, said he wanted to "find 11,780 votes" and that Raffensperger should "work out on these numbers" and "come to a resolution."
In a separate phone call in December with Frances Watson, the lead elections investigator in Raffensperger's office, Trump also leveled false accusations about Georgia's election process and told her that "When the right answer comes out, you'll be praised."
What have prosecutors done so far?
Fanni Willis, the district attorney in Fulton County, which includes Atlanta, is examining whether Trump's calls amounted to an illegal attempt to manipulate election results.
In a letter to state election officials, Willis said her investigation will assess "potential violations of Georgia election law prohibiting the solicitation of election fraud, the making of false statements to state and local government bodies, conspiracy, racketeering, violation of oath of office, and any involvement in violence of threats related to the election's administration."
In April, a local Fox affiliate reported that Willis was seeking subpoenas for her investigation through a grand jury.
Raffensperger is also conducting a separate, administrative investigation into Trump's attempts to influence the election results in his state.
Telling supporters to 'fight like hell' ahead of the Capitol riot
What did Trump do?
Ahead of the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, Trump held a rally where he urged his supporters to "fight like hell" and "show strength" in reaction to members of Congress certifying the 2020 election results.
He told his supporters they were "allowed to go by very different rules" based on the false premise that the election was rigged.
Trump's speech led to his second impeachment in the House of Representatives, but 57 US senators voted to convict him, short of the two-thirds majority threshold needed.
What have prosecutors done so far?
Federal prosecutors already have arrested and charged more than 400 people they allege were involved in the riot.
Washington, DC Attorney General Karl Racine said his office was examining whether Trump could be charged with a misdemeanor for allegedly encouraging violence.
Legal experts say chances of success for such charges are unlikely, however.
Federal prosecutors in DC haven't ruled out prosecuting Trump for his speech, but there's been no evidence of an active investigation into his conduct.
Seeking to influence US policy from Ukraine
What did Trump do?
In 2018, Rudy Giuliani, then serving as Trump's personal lawyer, trekked around Ukraine in a failed attempt to dig up dirt about now-President Joe Biden.
Part of his efforts involved the ouster of Marie Yovanovitch, the US's former ambassador to Ukraine, who Giuliani appeared to believe stood in the way of Ukraine launching an investigation into Biden ahead of the 2020 election.
Trump's own related efforts to get Ukraine to investigate Biden ahead of the 2020 election - including a call to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky - led to his first impeachment, where the Republican-controlled Senate acquitted him.
At the time, Trump denied all wrongdoing regarding his attempts to pressure Ukraine's president into investigating Biden.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan are investigating Giuliani's conduct and have seized electronic communications from him. They may be examining whether his Ukraine meddling was done at Trump's behest, though there's no public indication that Trump himself is a subject of the probe.
What have prosecutors done so far?
The investigation into Giuliani stems from a separate case regarding two of his associates, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, who prosecutors say participated in illegal election finance schemes and tried to influence US-Ukraine relations.
In April, FBI agents raided Giuliani's apartment and office and served a search warrant at the home of Victoria Toensing, another lawyer and Trump ally.
The exact scope of the investigation remains unclear, but prosecutors appear to be looking into whether Giuliani's meddling in Ukraine amounts to a violation of foreign lobbying laws.