Monday, April 29, 2024

Report: Trump Special Counsel Probing Potential Wire Fraud Related To 2020 Fundraising

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Former President Donald Trump is reportedly under investigation by federal prosecutors probing the Jan. 6 Capitol riot for alleged wire fraud related to his fundraising efforts between the 2020 presidential election and President Joe Biden's inauguration.

The Washington Post reported the news on Wednesday evening, citing “eight people with knowledge of the investigation” who “spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing criminal investigation.”

The report explains that Special Counsel Jack Smith is investigating potential wire fraud crimes committed by and his “fundraising operation” for using false claims of election fraud to elicit donations, which would “violated wire fraud laws.” The Post notes that under federal law it is “illegal to make false representations over email to swindle people out of money.”

The report adds:

Smith's office has sent subpoenas in recent weeks to Trump advisers and former campaign aides, Republican operatives and other consultants involved in the 2020 presidential campaign, the people said. They have also heard testimony from some of these figures in front of a Washington grand jury, some of the people said.

The subpoenas, which were issued in early March, have not previously been reported and are aimed at gathering private communications between Trump and his fundraising staff to better understand whether or not they believed the claims behind their messaging, which the Post reports “generated more than $200 million in donations from conservatives.”

Smith and his investigators are probing whether fundraising emails containing rhetoric such as, “They want you to think this Election is over, but they are wrong” constitute actual fraud.

Smith was tapped to lead the investigation into Trump's alleged mishandling of classified presidential records. He has sought testimony from a range of people close to Trump. He's targeted Trump's own attorneys who represent him in the matter as well as staffers who work on the grounds of Mar-a-Lago, including a housekeeper and restaurant servers.

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READ NEXT: Report: Biden Admin. Officials Played Hand In Mar-A-Lago Raid Despite Past Denials

Nancy Jackson
Nancy Jackson
Nancy grew up in the South where her passion for politics first began. After getting her BA in journalism from Ole Miss she became an arts and culture writer for Athens Magazine where she enjoyed reporting on the eclectic music and art scene in Athens, GA. However, her desire to report on issues and policies impacting everyday Americans won out and she packed her bags for Washington, DC. Now, she splits her time between the Nation’s Capital and Philadelphia where she covers the fast-paced environment of politics, business, and news. In her off time, you can find Nancy exploring museums or enjoying brunch with friends.

2 COMMENTS

  1. I wouldn’t suspect Mr Trump of fraudulent actions , as much as I have seen by a fundraiser of his ; Redwin . There are historical accounts of fraudlent taking of monies , especially of elderly people who don’t catch that little ‘ Make This A Monthly Donation ‘ . On an online donation form I filled out I Unchecked that option , when I clicked to Send – the option re-appeared & I couldn’t get it back off . No apology , no anything , just a blank screen and silence ; The date was 10/29/21 . I have refused to use the ‘service’ ever since .

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