A special grand jury has reportedly convened in consideration of possible evidence in a criminal investigation into Donald Trump’s business dealings.
According to a report from Shayna Jacobs and David A. Fahrenthold for the Washington Post, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. recently convened the grand jury, which will make a decision on whether to indict the former POTUS and/or others at his company if prosecutors come to the panel with criminal charges. The panel is expected to sit three days a week for a period of six months.
The convening of a special grand jury was also confirmed by a source for the Associated Press, who added that this latest update could be a sign that the district attorney’s office is “moving toward seeking charges” after a years-long investigation. Issues widely believed to be included in the investigation include hush money, property valuations, and employee pay.
While the district attorney has previously been putting an investigative grand jury to use by issuing subpoenas and obtaining relevant documents, the new grand jury could ultimately be called on to consider indictments. Trump, meanwhile, said in a blog post on Tuesday night that these latest developments mark “a continuation of the greatest Witch Hunt in American history.”
Also on Tuesday, it was reported that an indictment against Steve Bannon—a former adviser to Trump—had been dismissed. Prosecutors had argued that the indictment should remain in place despite Trump’s pardon, though U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres ultimately decided that a dismissal was the “proper course” in this instance. Previously, Bannon had pleaded not guilty in connection with allegations of having participated in the defrauding of border wall project donors.
