- Prosecutors are focused on Donald Trump’s property in New York while investigating his finances, the WSJ reported.
- The investigation is reportedly focusing on whether he misrepresented the property’s value for tax purposes.
- The investigation is part of the Manhattan prosecutor’s broader investigation into Trump’s finances.
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New York prosecutors have stepped up their investigation into Donald Trump’s property in Seven Springs, New York, while continuing to investigate his finances, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Investigators in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in recent weeks have become more interested in the 213-acre Westchester property, which Trump bought for $ 9.5 million in 1995, people with knowledge of the investigation told WSJ.
Trump originally purchased the property, complete with a 39,000-square-foot mansion, with the goal of turning it into a golf resort, Insider reported.
He was unable to obtain the necessary zoning permits and much of the land was placed under conservation easement.
Sources told the WSJ that the Manhattan district attorney’s office, Cy Vance, which launched a broad criminal investigation into the Trump Organization, issued subpoenas and requested recordings of government meetings where Trump’s failed attempts to develop the Seven Springs property were discussed.
Ralph Mastromonaco, an engineer involved in the failed development efforts, confirmed to WSJ that he had received a subpoena related to those efforts.
The Seven Springs estate is also of interest for a separate investigation by New York attorney general Letitia James, the Associated Press reported.
Both investigations are focused on whether Trump misrepresented the value of the Seven Springs property to secure tax benefits from the environmental conservation agreement, the Associated Press reported. Trump
As Insider previously reported, Trump is subject to a number of legal and criminal investigations, now that he has stepped down and no longer enjoys the legal protections of the executive branch.
The investigations by the New York Attorney General and the Manhattan District Attorney are comprehensive investigations into Donald Trump’s personal finances as well as the Trump Organization’s business, although they have not made public the exact nature of their investigations.
Trump’s tax returns appear to form an important part of Vance’s investigation, and this year he won a historic Supreme Court battle to force the publication of the former president’s tax returns and other financial documents.
Trump has long resisted its publication and has launched a second appeal against the Supreme Court decision.
Vance’s investigation is also investigating borrowing on several of his main Manhattan properties, including the Trump Tower.
Insider contacted the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the Trump Organization for comment, but received no response at the time of publication. Trump had previously called Vance’s investigation a “witch hunt”.