Trump faces ‘bad year’ in 2023, likely to be indicted: former prosecutor

Jordan Rubin, a former prosecutor with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, predicted that 2023 could be a “bad year” for former President Donald Trump in which he could face criminal charges in ongoing investigations. against him.

In an MSNBC op-ed published Sunday, Rubin listed some ongoing investigations against Trump that could culminate in his indictment this year or before the 2024 presidential election. Those cases include Trump’s mishandling of highly classified House documents. Blanche that he took with him after leaving office, and the alleged efforts by him and his allies to nullify the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“So with everything looming, is it really possible that Trump won’t be indicted anywhere? Sure. But that seems unlikely at this point. And, in part because of the challenges of accusing a potential president of crimes, any prosecutor with charges will. I want to do it by next year,” wrote Rubin, who is an MSNBC blogger specializing in legal analysis.

He continued: “It would not eliminate the new problems of indicting a presidential candidate from 2024 even in 2023, which would lead to an unprecedented series of legal questions, as Trump has a habit of doing. Which seems clear, however, is that the former president is about to have a bad year.”

Trump’s legal challenges have been piling up at the federal and state levels, but experts still can’t determine which investigation might be his biggest threat because the potential outcome of each investigation varies. One investigation could be a clear victory for the prosecution, while another could “ripple through the entire legal and political system,” said Michael McAuliffe, a former federal and Florida state attorney. Newsweek Thursday.

Trump is being questioned by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as he continues to investigate his mishandling of hundreds of highly classified documents that were seized by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago estate in August. The former president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said he declassified those documents before removing them from the White House.

Additionally, the House Select Committee investigation into the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot was one of the high-profile investigations against Trump. The committee released its final report last month, outlining evidence of alleged efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results.

“And those are just some of the charges Trump could face this year,” Rubin wrote in his op-ed predicting the ex-president “will be charged with crimes in 2023.”

“The former president should also be worried about the states,” Rubin added, referring to investigations in Georgia and New York, where Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has already successfully convicted the Trump Organization. for a 15-year-old tax scam. . Bragg is currently launching a fourth criminal investigation against Trump.

Meanwhile, Trump is facing a legal battle with an investigation into his efforts to overturn the results of Georgia’s 2020 presidential election. The special grand jury investigating the case completed its work this week after reviewing the evidence and key testimony against him.

The special grand jury is expected to produce its final report with recommendations on next steps. Then Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will decide whether or not to select a regular grand jury, which has the power to issue indictments.

“And while the investigations are separate, the January 6 committee’s explosive findings could spur the investigation by Fulton County Attorney Fani Willis, Georgia,” Rubin wrote in his op-ed.

The former prosecutor said earlier in his article that “on the one hand, it is unremarkable to prophesy that a man who faces multiple investigations from federal and state prosecutors for conduct that seems quite illegal will be charged with crimes. On the other hand, he is Trump, whose name has not been synonymous with responsibility. There is reason to think that will change.”

Newsweek contacted Trump’s media office for comment.