After the House committee investigating the Capitol riot revealed frankly startling details about the deception that essentially defined the Trump campaign’s post-2020 election fundraising operation, New York state Attorney General Letitia James has now seemingly pledged to examine the matter in some capacity, although it all remains in its early stages.
“The new details revealed tonight related to January 6 are disturbing,” James said Monday. “It’s my duty to investigate allegations of fraud or potential misconduct in New York. This incident is no exception.” It sounds like she’s talking about financial misconduct issues tied to Trump and his associates. Specifically, the riot committee revealed how the Trump campaign said donor money brought in after the 2020 election would support an “Official Election Defense Fund” — but no such fund existed. Much of the money brought in after the 2020 election by the Trump camp apparently went to a PAC Trump created around that time called the Save America PAC. Donors across the country were misled by what one ex-Trump staffer characterized as just a marketing tactic but was, in actuality, a lie about the existence of that supposed fund.
The new details revealed tonight related to January 6 are disturbing.
It’s my duty to investigate allegations of fraud or potential misconduct in New York.
This incident is no exception.
— NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) June 14, 2022
“Every American is entitled and encouraged to participate in our electoral process. Political fundraising is part of that. Small-dollar donors use scarce disposable income to support candidates and causes of their choosing… Those donors deserve the truth about what those funds will be used for,” committee member Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) added Monday. “We’ll also show that the Trump campaign used these false claims of election fraud to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from supporters who were told their donations were for the legal fight in the courts,” Lofgren said at a different point as the committee’s proceedings started Monday. “But the Trump Campaign didn’t use the money for that. The Big Lie was also a big rip off.”
James is already conducting a civil investigation into the Trump family business; because it’s civil in nature, that probe’s set up to potentially lead to court action against Trump’s side that could result in presumably heavy financial penalties. That investigation has hinged on apparently deceptive valuations that the Trump company presented for various company assets. Those deceptive valuations were set to provide the Trump Organization with unearned financial benefits such as tax breaks. As for the riot committee, it’s unclear whether members will formally recommend Trump himself to the Justice Department for prosecution beyond the implicit recommendations that might be perceived in the committee’s overall findings.
Asked about whether committee members would issue formal criminal referrals to the Justice Department for offenses other than contempt, panel chair Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) said: “No, that’s not our job. Our job is to look at the facts and circumstances around January 6, what caused it and make recommendations after that.” In contrast, vice chair Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) remarked: “The January 6th Select Committee has not issued a conclusion regarding potential criminal referrals. We will announce a decision on that at an appropriate time.” The panel has already established they suspect Trump to be guilty of criminal acts such as obstruction of Congress.
“Remember during the campaign I would say, with great conviction, that if these people get into office, we will end up being “Venezuela on Steroids,”” Trump babbled on Truth Social in reference to ongoing investigative efforts. “Guess what, another one, of many, Trump predictions that is true, or turning out to be true! “Trump was right about everything,” as the now well known phrase (chant) goes.” In other words, it doesn’t sound like he’d be particularly thrilled by the prospect of a new Trump-related probe from James and her team. And James has already proven that she can win against the ex-president: after repeated failures in attempts by Trump to shut down the prospect of him and two of his adult children testifying, Donald, Don Jr., and Ivanka have agreed to testify amid James’s civil investigation into the Trump business.
