Prosecutor seeking Trump’s taxes cites probe of his business

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for a Manhattan prosecutor trying to get President Donald Trump’s tax returns told a judge Monday that it was justified in demanding m because of public reports of “extensive and protracted criminal conduct at Trump Organization.”

Trump’s lawyers last month said grand jury subpoena for tax returns was issued in bad faith and amounted to harassment of president.

Manhattan District Attorney District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance, Jr. is seeking eight years of Republican president’s personal and corporate tax records, but has disclosed little about what prompted him to request records, or than part of investigation is related to payoffs made to women to keep m quiet about alleged affairs with Trump.

In ir court filing Monday, though, attorneys for Vance said Trump’s arguments that subpoena was too broad stemmed from “ false premise” that probe was limited to so-called “hush-money” payments.

“This Court is already aware that this assertion is fatally undermined by undisputed information in public record,” Vance’s lawyers wrote.

y said public reporting demonstrates that at time subpoena was issues “re were public allegations of possible criminal activity at Plaintiff’s New York County-based Trump Organization dating back over a decade.”

“se reports describe transactions involving individual and corporate actors based in New York County, but whose conduct at times extended beyond New York’s borders. This possible criminal activity occurred within applicable statutes of limitations, particularly if transactions involved a continuing pattern of conduct,” lawyers said.

lawyers urged Judge Victor Marrero to swiftly reject Trump’s arguments, saying baseless claims were threatening investigation. Marrero, who ruled against Trump last year, has scheduled arguments to be fully submitted by mid-August.

“Every day that goes by is ar day Plaintiff effectively achieves ‘temporary absolute immunity’ that was rejected by this Court, Court of Appeals, and Supreme Court,” Vance’s lawyers said. “Every such day also increases prospect of a loss of evidence or expiration of limitations periods — precise concerns that Supreme Court observed justified its rejection of Plaintiff’s immunity claim in first place.”

Supreme Court last month rejected claims by Trump’s lawyers that president could t be criminally investigated while he was in office.

Vance sought tax records in part for a probe of how Trump’s n-personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, arranged during 2016 presidential race to keep porn actress Stormy Daniels and model Karen McDougal from airing claims of extramarital affairs with Trump. Trump has denied affairs.

Cohen is serving last two years of a three-year prison sentence in home confinement after pleading guilty to campaign finance violations and lying to Congress, among or charges. He said he plans to publish a book critical of president before vember election.