Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announced Monday that his office has hired former Department of Justice (DOJ) official Matthew Colangelo to focus on the office's "most sensitive and high-profile white-collar investigations."
Bragg's announcement regarding Colangelo — who acted as the DOJ’s No. 3 official last year and previously investigated the Trump Foundation — comes as his office investigates former President Donald Trump.
"Public safety requires economic stability, and all New Yorkers deserve to live and work without risk of harassment, wage theft or dangerous workplaces," Bragg said in a statement. "Matthew Colangelo brings a wealth of economic justice experience combined with complex white-collar investigations, and he has the sound judgment and integrity needed to pursue justice against powerful people and institutions when they abuse their power."
The Trump investigation is not specifically mentioned in the announcement, but The New York Times reported that Colangelo will likely join the investigation.
"I am honored to reunite with District Attorney Bragg, my former colleague and a deeply experienced prosecutor committed to public safety in his hometown," Colangelo said in a statement.
"Expanded enforcement of worker-protection and tenant-protection laws will make our communities safer for all New Yorkers and level the playing field for responsible employers and landlords," Colangelo continued. "And assisting with the District Attorney's focus on financial crimes will promote confidence in the legal system by making clear that the same rules apply to everyone — no matter how powerful."
Colangelo also previously served in New York Attorney General Letitia James' office, where he worked on several probes into the Trump administration, as well as the 45th president's private foundation.
The Manhattan DA's office opened a criminal investigation into Trump and his companies under Bragg's predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr.
According to The Hill, two prosecutors in the investigation resigned in February when Bragg indicated he had doubts about moving forward.
Since then, however, the Manhattan D.A. says the investigation is "active and ongoing."
The probe has hinged on whether Trump or his companies inflated the value of assets to receive more favorable loan terms.
So far, the investigation has only yielded one trial, which revolved around whether the Trump Organization helped executives avoid income taxes on nonmonetary compensation.
Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg pled guilty to 15 charges and also testified during the trial, according to The Hill.
Trump was not charged in that trial. Also, it's not known if he will be included in the wider investigation.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.