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特朗普正面临刑事调查,他具体犯了什么错?

特朗普正面临刑事调查,他具体犯了什么错?

美联社 2021-05-21
到目前为止,还没有迹象表明特朗普将受到指控。特朗普则继续谴责整个事件属于“政治迫害”。

美国前总统唐纳德•特朗普在纽约正同时面临两起刑事调查,州总检察长办公室表示,正在进行的对这位前总统及其企业的民事调查现在转为了刑事调查。

5月18日的晚间消息证实,总检察长办公室正在与曼哈顿地区检察官办公室合作进行这项调查。近两年来,曼哈顿地区检察官办公室一直在严格审查特朗普及其公司特朗普集团(Trump Organization)。

地区检察官办公室一直在四处收集特朗普的税务记录,聘请了一名曾经调查过黑手党的检察官来负责调查,并一直在采访包括特朗普的前私人律师迈克尔•科恩在内的证人。

到目前为止,还没有迹象表明特朗普将受到指控。特朗普则继续谴责整个事件属于“政治迫害”。

下面我们来看看目前的情况。

纽约州总检察长利蒂希娅•詹姆斯和曼哈顿地区检察官小塞勒斯•万斯都是民主党人,两年多来一直在同时调查特朗普及其企业。

万斯的办公室一直在调查,看这位共和党前总统、他的公司或与他们有关的人员是否犯下了与以下事项有关的罪行:向声称与特朗普同床共枕的女性支付封口费、财产估价和员工薪酬。

詹姆斯的调查开始属于民事调查,寻找可能违反国家法律、可被处以罚款等处罚的行为,而且调查方向和万斯差不多。现在,她的调查也涉及到了可能的刑事犯罪行为。

詹姆斯的办公室说,最近他们已经告知了特朗普集团,表示对该公司的调查已经扩大到刑事领域。总检察长办公室于5月18日的晚间公开披露了这一变化。

詹姆斯的办公室在一份声明中说:“我们已经通知特朗普集团,我们对该公司的调查不再是纯粹的民事性质。我们现在和曼哈顿地区检察官办公室一起,对特朗普集团展开刑事调查。”

詹姆斯的办公室没有解释是什么促使改变了调查方向,也没有解释为什么要公开宣布这件事。

1999年至2003年在总检察长办公室担任高级官员的小安德鲁•G•切利说,民事调查转为刑事调查通常不会发布公开声明。

他说,这份声明可能是一个迹象,“很快会有其他公开信息发布出来”,也可能是在“向证人和嫌疑人发出信息”。

另一种不那么戏剧性的可能性是,有人向媒体透露了这一变化,所以詹姆斯的办公室被迫在被问及此事时公开回应。

切利说:“毫无疑问,这一声明是出于一些战略或战术上的原因。像这样的声明都是意有所指,不会是凭空发布的。“

特朗普于5月19日发表了一份900词的声明,内容依旧是人们熟悉的对万斯和詹姆斯调查的抱怨。

特朗普抗议说,他“受到了腐败政治体系的不公平攻击和虐待”,并辩称刑事调查是民主党阴谋的一部分,目的是让他的选民保持沉默,阻止他再次竞选总统。

特朗普还重申了他的老话,称这些调查是“美国历史上最伟大的政治迫害的延续”。

特朗普说:“没有什么比不顾一切地寻找犯罪证据的调查更腐败。但你没有搞错,现在的情况就是这样。”

万斯的办公室援引大陪审团保密规则,尚未公开表示正在调查什么,但在为获得特朗普税务记录展开法律战期间,一些调查的细节被曝光出来。

万斯调查了特朗普与借给其款项的人的关系、特朗普为获得所得税减免资格而捐赠的土地,以及他的公司针对其支付的数百万美元咨询费注销税费一事。

其中一部分钱给了特朗普的女儿伊万卡,但她否认这中间有任何不当行为。在去年11月的一条推文中,她称这次调查是“彻彻底底的骚扰”,并表示调查是“100%出于政治、宣传和愤怒”。

詹姆斯的办公室也一直在关注土地捐赠,并仔细审查与纽约市特朗普办公楼、芝加哥一家酒店和洛杉矶附近一处高尔夫球场有关的记录。

万斯的调查最近几周似乎集中在特朗普长期担任财务主管的艾伦•魏塞尔贝格身上。他的前儿媳詹妮弗•魏塞尔贝格正在配合这两项调查,在调查人员调查一些特朗普员工是否获得了公寓或学校学费等账外补偿的过程中,她提供了大量税务记录和其他文件。

魏塞尔贝格在詹姆斯进行民事调查时曾经被传唤,并在去年两次作证。

特朗普的儿子埃里克也在接受调查时受到传唤,并曾经在2020年11月的美国总统大选前作证。

不过,詹姆斯披露的扩大调查并不一定表明她正在计划提起刑事诉讼,

如果要提起刑事诉讼,根据州法律,她需要得到郡地方检察官(比如万斯)、州长或州属机构的授权。

切利说,在总检察长办公室进行的民事调查中发现刑事犯罪的证据,并非什么闻所未闻的事。

他说,在这种情况下,总检察长办公室的律师有时会被特别指定为当地地方检察官办公室的刑事检察官。(财富中文网)

译者:葛仲君

美国前总统唐纳德•特朗普在纽约正同时面临两起刑事调查,州总检察长办公室表示,正在进行的对这位前总统及其企业的民事调查现在转为了刑事调查。

5月18日的晚间消息证实,总检察长办公室正在与曼哈顿地区检察官办公室合作进行这项调查。近两年来,曼哈顿地区检察官办公室一直在严格审查特朗普及其公司特朗普集团(Trump Organization)。

地区检察官办公室一直在四处收集特朗普的税务记录,聘请了一名曾经调查过黑手党的检察官来负责调查,并一直在采访包括特朗普的前私人律师迈克尔•科恩在内的证人。

到目前为止,还没有迹象表明特朗普将受到指控。特朗普则继续谴责整个事件属于“政治迫害”。

下面我们来看看目前的情况。

纽约州总检察长利蒂希娅•詹姆斯和曼哈顿地区检察官小塞勒斯•万斯都是民主党人,两年多来一直在同时调查特朗普及其企业。

万斯的办公室一直在调查,看这位共和党前总统、他的公司或与他们有关的人员是否犯下了与以下事项有关的罪行:向声称与特朗普同床共枕的女性支付封口费、财产估价和员工薪酬。

詹姆斯的调查开始属于民事调查,寻找可能违反国家法律、可被处以罚款等处罚的行为,而且调查方向和万斯差不多。现在,她的调查也涉及到了可能的刑事犯罪行为。

詹姆斯的办公室说,最近他们已经告知了特朗普集团,表示对该公司的调查已经扩大到刑事领域。总检察长办公室于5月18日的晚间公开披露了这一变化。

詹姆斯的办公室在一份声明中说:“我们已经通知特朗普集团,我们对该公司的调查不再是纯粹的民事性质。我们现在和曼哈顿地区检察官办公室一起,对特朗普集团展开刑事调查。”

詹姆斯的办公室没有解释是什么促使改变了调查方向,也没有解释为什么要公开宣布这件事。

1999年至2003年在总检察长办公室担任高级官员的小安德鲁•G•切利说,民事调查转为刑事调查通常不会发布公开声明。

他说,这份声明可能是一个迹象,“很快会有其他公开信息发布出来”,也可能是在“向证人和嫌疑人发出信息”。

另一种不那么戏剧性的可能性是,有人向媒体透露了这一变化,所以詹姆斯的办公室被迫在被问及此事时公开回应。

切利说:“毫无疑问,这一声明是出于一些战略或战术上的原因。像这样的声明都是意有所指,不会是凭空发布的。“

特朗普于5月19日发表了一份900词的声明,内容依旧是人们熟悉的对万斯和詹姆斯调查的抱怨。

特朗普抗议说,他“受到了腐败政治体系的不公平攻击和虐待”,并辩称刑事调查是民主党阴谋的一部分,目的是让他的选民保持沉默,阻止他再次竞选总统。

特朗普还重申了他的老话,称这些调查是“美国历史上最伟大的政治迫害的延续”。

特朗普说:“没有什么比不顾一切地寻找犯罪证据的调查更腐败。但你没有搞错,现在的情况就是这样。”

万斯的办公室援引大陪审团保密规则,尚未公开表示正在调查什么,但在为获得特朗普税务记录展开法律战期间,一些调查的细节被曝光出来。

万斯调查了特朗普与借给其款项的人的关系、特朗普为获得所得税减免资格而捐赠的土地,以及他的公司针对其支付的数百万美元咨询费注销税费一事。

其中一部分钱给了特朗普的女儿伊万卡,但她否认这中间有任何不当行为。在去年11月的一条推文中,她称这次调查是“彻彻底底的骚扰”,并表示调查是“100%出于政治、宣传和愤怒”。

詹姆斯的办公室也一直在关注土地捐赠,并仔细审查与纽约市特朗普办公楼、芝加哥一家酒店和洛杉矶附近一处高尔夫球场有关的记录。

万斯的调查最近几周似乎集中在特朗普长期担任财务主管的艾伦•魏塞尔贝格身上。他的前儿媳詹妮弗•魏塞尔贝格正在配合这两项调查,在调查人员调查一些特朗普员工是否获得了公寓或学校学费等账外补偿的过程中,她提供了大量税务记录和其他文件。

魏塞尔贝格在詹姆斯进行民事调查时曾经被传唤,并在去年两次作证。

特朗普的儿子埃里克也在接受调查时受到传唤,并曾经在2020年11月的美国总统大选前作证。

不过,詹姆斯披露的扩大调查并不一定表明她正在计划提起刑事诉讼,

如果要提起刑事诉讼,根据州法律,她需要得到郡地方检察官(比如万斯)、州长或州属机构的授权。

切利说,在总检察长办公室进行的民事调查中发现刑事犯罪的证据,并非什么闻所未闻的事。

他说,在这种情况下,总检察长办公室的律师有时会被特别指定为当地地方检察官办公室的刑事检察官。(财富中文网)

译者:葛仲君

Donald Trump is facing a one-two punch of criminal investigations in New York, with the state attorney general’s office saying its ongoing civil inquiry into the former president and his businesses is now a criminal matter.

The attorney general's office is conducting the probe, confirmed late May 18, in tandem with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, which has been scrutinizing Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, for about two years.

The DA’s office has been scouring Trump’s tax records, hired a former mafia prosecutor to help run its investigation and has been interviewing witnesses including Trump's former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen.

So far, there’s no indication that charges are looming. Trump has continued to decry the whole thing as a “witch hunt."

Here’s a look at where things stand.

New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., both Democrats, have been running parallel investigations into Trump and his businesses for more than two years.

Vance’s office has been investigating whether the Republican ex-president, his company or people connected to them committed crimes relating to matters including hush-money payments for women who say they slept with Trump, property valuations and employee compensation.

James’ probe began as a civil matter, looking at possible violations of state laws punishable with penalties such as fines, and centered on some of the same issues. Her investigation now also pertains to possible criminal conduct.

James’ office said it recently informed the Trump Organization that its investigation into the company had expanded into a criminal matter. The attorney general’s office publicly disclosed the change May 18 night.

“We have informed the Trump Organization that our investigation into the company is no longer purely civil in nature,” James’ office said in a statement. “We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA.”

James’ office offered no explanation for what prompted the shift in its approach to the investigation or why it chose to announce it publicly.

Andrew G. Celli Jr., a high-ranking official in the attorney general’s office from 1999 to 2003, said you don't typically see a public announcement when an investigation changes from civil to criminal.

He said the statement could be an indication “something else public is coming soon,” or could be a way of “sending a message to witnesses and targets.”

Another possibility, not as dramatic, is someone else tipped off media outlets about the change and James’ office was compelled to respond publicly when asked about it.

“No doubt, there is some strategic or tactical reason for this announcement,” Celli said. “Statements like this have meaning. They don’t come out of nowhere.”

Trump issued a 900-word statement on May 19 filled with familiar complaints about the investigations and digs at Vance and James.

Trump complained that he's being “unfairly attacked and abused by a corrupt political system" and contends the criminal probes are part of a Democratic plot to silence his voters and block him from running for president again.

Trump also repeated his oft-uttered claim that the investigations are “a continuation of the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of the United States.”

“There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation that is in desperate search of a crime," Trump said. "But, make no mistake, that is exactly what is happening here."

Vance’s office has not publicly said what it is looking at, citing grand jury secrecy rules, but some details came out during the legal battle to get access to Trump’s tax records.

Vance’s investigation includes scrutiny of Trump’s relationship with his lenders; a land donation he made to qualify for an income tax deduction; and tax write-offs his company claimed on millions of dollars in consulting fees it paid.

Some of that money went to Trump's daughter, Ivanka, who has denied any wrongdoing. In a tweet last November, she called the investigation “harassment pure and simple" and said it was “100% motivated by politics, publicity and rage.”

James’ office has also been looking at the land donation and scrutinizing records relating to a Trump office building in New York City, a hotel in Chicago and a golf course near Los Angeles.

Vance’s investigation has appeared to focus in recent weeks on Trump’s longtime finance chief, Allen Weisselberg. His former daughter-in-law, Jennifer Weisselberg, is cooperating with both inquiries. She’s given investigators reams of tax records and other documents as they look into whether some Trump employees were given off-the-books compensation, such as apartments or school tuition.

Weisselberg was subpoenaed in James’ civil investigation and testified twice last year.

Trump's son, Eric, was also subpoenaed as part of that probe and testified before the November 2020 election.

James’ disclosure of a widening investigation is not necessarily an indication that she is planning to bring criminal charges.

If that were to happen, under state law, she'd need authorization from a county district attorney, like Vance, or the governor or a state agency.

Celli says it's not unheard of that a civil investigation conducted by the attorney general’s office will turn up evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

In such cases, he said, attorney general's office lawyers will sometimes be specially designated to work as criminal prosecutors with a local district attorney's office.

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