Jed Shugerman wrote a New York Times op-ed that argues for the New York attorney general to open a special civil proceeding against the Trump Organization and its officials.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was on to something. In her questioning of Michael Cohen, she asked if Donald Trump had ever provided “inflated assets to an insurance company.” He answered in the affirmative — and also testified to rampant tax fraud by Mr. Trump and allegedly by the Trump Organization officials Allen Weisselberg, Ron Lieberman and Matthew Calamari.
The questioning apparently caught the attention of New York State regulators, who issued a subpoena for the Trump Organization’s insurance policies.
State officials should not stop there. The allegations of criminal conduct by Donald Trump and Trump Organization officials are no longer mere speculation or reporting. The public record establishes probable cause for campaign finance felonies, and a potential case for criminal tax fraud, bank fraud, insurance fraud and suborning perjury to hide shady business dealings — a staggering mix of state and federal crimes implicating a range of Trump Organization officials.
State attorneys general — especially New York Attorney General Letitia James — should not wait for any Justice Department official to hold Trump accountable for potential crimes. They also do not need to wait to build a case for criminal indictments. The appropriate immediate path is a special state civil proceeding against the Trump Organization and its officials.