Allegations of Corruption Involving Trump Organization’s Top Executives Demands Investigation

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Legal advocacy organization urges Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and New York Attorney General to investigate Trump Organization, District Attorney for potential violations of fraud, bribery, racketeering, and conspiracy laws

(New York, NY) – November 2, 2017, Free Speech for People (FSFP), a non-partisan legal advocacy organization, delivered a letter to Joon Kim the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and a letter to New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman calling on each of their offices to investigate serious allegations of potential corruption involving top executives of the Trump Organization for potential violations of state and federal fraud, bribery, racketeering and conspiracy laws related to the Trump SoHo project.

“Recent revelations about the Manhattan D.A.’s handling of the criminal fraud case against Donald Trump, Jr. and Ivanka Trump warrant an investigation by the Attorney General,” said Shanna Cleveland, Senior Counsel at Free Speech For People. “Launching a thorough investigation that is beyond the influence of President Trump is crucial to ensuring the integrity of our criminal justice system.”

“Donald Trump has bragged about his generous contributions to politicians, claiming that ‘when you give they do whatever the hell you want them to do.’ It appears that he and his long time attorney may have used this approach to squelch the District Attorney’s investigation into whether Donald Trump, Jr. and Ivanka Trump engaged in criminal fraud in their efforts to promote Trump SoHo,” said Ben Clements, Free Speech For People Board Chair and a former federal prosecutor.

The letters set forth serious allegations of fraud by top Trump Organization executives including Donald Trump, Jr. and Ivanka Trump regarding the marketing of the Trump SoHo luxury condo-hotel development and potential misconduct by Marc Kasowitz, an attorney acting on behalf of the Trump Organization, for a possible fraudulent real estate scheme, as well as a possible quid pro quo campaign contribution bribery scheme to conceal and avoid prosecution for the fraud.

The letter to Eric Schneiderman, Attorney General of New York, follows up on two prior letters that were sent in February and March, in which Free Speech For People set forth the long history of alleged illegal conduct by the Trump Organization, both before and after President Trump’s inauguration.

In previous letters to Eric Schneiderman, Attorney General of New York, Free Speech For People urged the attorney general to open an investigation into whether to revoke the corporate charter of the Trump Organization under a New York law that authorizes him to dissolve a corporation for persistently illegal conduct or abuse of its powers contrary to the public policy of the state. This new letter provides yet more fuel for that investigation.

All letters are publicly available on FSFP’s website. FSFP is encouraging members of the public to sign a petition urging the Attorney General to pursue this investigation, and to contact his office to voice support: https://freespeechforpeople.org/revoke-trump-charter/

Download our press release
Download a PDF of our November 2, 2017 Letter to the New York Attorney General
Download a PDF of our November 2, 2017 Letter to the U.S. Attorney General for the Southern District of New York