Investigations into President Donald Trump, his company and associates by the Southern District of New York pose an increasing threat to him and have the potential to carry on well into the 2020 campaign even if special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe has ended by then, Politico reported on Monday.
The federal prosecutors in Manhattan can challenge Trump in ways that Mueller cannot, because while the president is considering invoking executive privilege to block portions of the special counsel’s report, the SDNY has jurisdiction over Trump’s political operation and businesses, areas which are not protected by executive privilege.
The SDNY probes are also more widespread than the Mueller investigation, which is focused on Russian interference and potential collision in the 2016 election.
Former New Jersey governor and federal prosecutor Chris Christie has emphasized these points, telling ABC News that “the Southern District of New York investigation presents a much more serious threat to the administration, potentially, than what Bob Mueller is doing.”
Nick Akerman, a former SDNY assistant attorney who also worked on the Watergate prosecution team, added to this line of thought, telling Politico that “When you combine their experience with the traditional independence of the southern district and the reputation it has, this is like another Mueller investigation going on.”
The threat from SDNY was recently emphasized when it made yet another aggressive move by ordering officials from Trump’s inaugural committee to hand over donor and financial records.
The Manhattan-based prosecutors also have assembled an impressive array of witnesses who have guided Trump throughout his business and political career, such as his longtime fixer Michael Cohen.
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