Manhattan prosecutor: Even with Trump Org conviction, investigation is ‘ongoing’

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) said the investigation involving former President Trump is “ongoing” in the aftermath of his family organization being convicted of tax fraud. 

Bragg said on “CNN This Morning” on Wednesday that he views the case against the Trump Organization as “one chapter in the book” for his team’s probe. 

“While those team members were in court, others were in the office continuing our broader investigation, so the work continues,” he said.

Jurors returned their verdict in the Trump Organization trial on Tuesday, one day after they began deliberating. The organization was found guilty on all 17 counts it faced, which included conspiracy, scheme to defraud and criminal tax fraud.

Prosecutors had said the Trump Organization’s leaders worked to help its top executives avoid paying income taxes on compensation and luxury perks for more than a decade. The testimony of former Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty to tax evasion in August as part of a deal with prosecutors, and Senior Vice President Jeffrey McConney were central to the prosecution’s case. 

Weisselberg testified that he worked with McConney to conceal about a decade’s worth of perks from his taxable income. 

Trump himself was not on trial, but prosecutors said evidence showed he signed off on bonus checks and memos that helped executives avoid reporting taxable income. The organization could be fined up to $1.6 million when it is sentenced next month. 

Bragg said the guilty verdict for the organization is “consequential” and underscores that there is “one standard” for corporations in Manhattan. 

The New York Times reported last month that the district attorney’s office has moved to launch a criminal investigation into Trump over payments he made to adult-film star Stormy Daniels about an affair they had.

Bragg said investigators have “continuously” been working “with vigor” to conduct their investigations but did not confirm or deny the probe. 

“We can’t talk about it publicly because that could prejudice it, but we have to do our work,” he said.