James Cohen spoke with National Public Radio about New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr’s decision not to pursue fraud charges against Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr. following an investigation involving a Trump-branded hotel in SoHo.
The Manhattan DA’s office had considered pursuing fraud charges against Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump Jr., who played a big role in promoting the hotel. An investigation by The New Yorker, WNYC and ProPublica said prosecutors wanted to pursue a criminal case, but Vance said evidence to do so was lacking.
The report also noted that Vance had received a $32,000 campaign contribution from one of Trump’s lawyers shortly after dropping the case. Vance had also received an earlier donation, which he had returned.
“It was improper for him to accept it in the first place. He responded by returning those donations and then apparently accepted them again after the fact,” noted Jim Cohen, a professor at Fordham University School of Law.