An investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James' office into the Trump Organization has switched gears, becoming a criminal investigation.
According to Fox News, for reasons unknown to the public, the investigation into the Trump Organization, which was initially just a civil matter, has become a criminal investigation.
Fabien Levy, a spokesperson for James' office, confirmed the news in a statement to Fox News, saying, "We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the organization is no longer purely civil in nature."
Levy added, "We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA. We have no additional comment at this time."
According to the Washington Post, the Trump Organization was informed of the investigation shift back in April.
James' office is now working with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s office, which has been criminally investigating the Trump Organization for the past two years, The Associated Press reports.
Both James' and Vance's offices have reportedly been looking into how Trump and his businesses valued certain assets in order to receive loans and tax breaks.
According to the AP, Vance's investigation also includes a deep dive into potential "hush-money" payments sent to women on Trump's behalf and a closer look at millions of dollars in tax write-offs claimed by the Trump Organization for consulting fees it paid. Some of those fees were reportedly paid to Ivanka Trump, the former president's daughter.
According to New York law, if James' office were interested in pursuing criminal charges, they would have to obtain a referral from the governor or go through a county district attorney.
Civil charges against the Trump Organization are likely only to yield a monetary punishment, while criminal charges could result in a criminal conviction.
Barring their initial statement, the New York Attorney General's office has declined to further comment on the investigation. The Manhattan DA's office and the Trump Organization have also declined to comment.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Win McNamee/Staff
Kayla Koslosky is the former Editor of ChristianHeadlines.com. She has B.A. degrees in English and History and previously wrote for and was the managing editor of the Yellow Jacket newspaper. She has also contributed to IBelieve.com and Crosswalk.com.
