Amid mounting pressure on President Trump from the Robert Mueller investigation, the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office has reportedly launched another Trump-related investigation, this time involving the president’s inaugural team.
Federal prosecutors in Manhattan have begun looking into how the inaugural committee spent its record $107 million in donations for the 2017 event, according to The Wall Street Journal’s sources. The Journal suggests that prosecutors suspect the improper diversion of funds by the nonprofit, which could be a federal crime.
Some of the Journal’s sources say that the criminal probe is also examining “whether some of the committee’s top donors gave money in exchange for access to the incoming Trump administration, policy concessions or to influence official administration positions.” Such quid pro quo arrangements would violate federal corruption laws.
The Journal’s sources say the investigation was prompted in part by materials obtained in the federal probe of Michael Cohen, Trump’s legal “fixer” who has since flipped on his former top client. – READ MORE