Prosecutors in New York’s Southern District have reached out to President Donald Trump’s inauguration committee and plan to subpoena the organization for documents, sources with direct knowledge tell ABC News, indicating that even as the special counsel probe appears to be nearing an end, another investigation that could hamstring the president and his lawyers is widening.
The contact from the Southern District, which came from its public corruption section, is the latest activity focusing on Trump’s political fundraising both before and immediately after his 2016 election. Lawyers for the inauguration committee were contacted midday Monday and asked if they could accept a subpoena for documents from federal prosecutors, according to sources familiar.
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JUST IN: Prosecutors in New York’s Southern District plan to subpoena Donald Trump’s inauguration committee for documents, sources tell @ABC News. https://t.co/b7ePugqSHv pic.twitter.com/lVTa7SjzkY
— ABC News (@ABC) February 4, 2019
NYT confirms ABC: Trump's inaugural committee has been ordered to turn over documents about its donors, finances and activities to federal prosecutors in Manhattan, according to two people familiar with their investigation into the committee’s activities. https://t.co/71fIJzitn6
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 5, 2019
1/ Trump's inaugural committee is under investigation by federal prosecutors in New York for accepting illegal contributions from foreigners, among other things. Today they received a subpoena for documents about its donors, finances and activities. https://t.co/pCKb9x5g7t
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) February 5, 2019
3/ According to @nytimes, the subpoena sought documents "regarding whether any foreigners illegally donated to the committee, as well as whether committee staff knew that such donations were illegal, asking for documents laying out legal requirements for donations."
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) February 5, 2019
5/ This indicates that there is some evidence of foreign contributions to the Trump inauguration and that federal prosecutors are working to build potential criminal charges against individuals who knowingly accepted those contributions.
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) February 5, 2019
7/ It is less clear why prosecutors are seeking these documents. For instance, in and of itself, it is not a crime for an inaugural committee to provide benefits to donors. But it is clear that prosecutors are investigating whether any of the FEC disclosures were false.
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) February 5, 2019
9/ There are various other potential federal crimes that prosecutors could be investigating, including offering an official act as president (say, lifting sanctions) in exchange for something of value (like a campaign contribution). We don't know enough to say for sure.
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) February 5, 2019
ADDENDUM: According to @jimsciutto, prosecutors are investigating conspiracy against the US, false statements, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, inaugural committee disclosure violations, & laws prohibiting contributions by foreign nations. https://t.co/iLSFb0JMGf
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) February 5, 2019
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