>>> DONALD TRUMP WAS ACQUITTED
IN HIS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL, BUT HE
STILL FACES LEGAL THREATS.
"THE WALL STREET JOURNAL"
REPORTS THE MANHATTAN D.A.’S
OFFICE IS ZEROING IN ON THE
FINANCIAL DEALINGS OF THE FORMER
PRESIDENT’S MANHATTAN
PROPERTIES.
THEY ARE EXAMINING LOANS HE TOOK
OUT ON SEVERAL PROPERTIES,
INCLUDING THE TRUMP TOWER IN THE
FINANCIAL DISTRICT AND A HOTEL
AND CONDOMINIUM BUILDING IN
COLUMBUS CIRCLE.
THE INVESTIGATION IS THE LATEST
IN MANHATTAN DISTRICT ATTORNEY
CYRUS VANCE’S PROBE INTO THE
TRUMP ORGANIZATION’S BUSINESS
DEALINGS.
THERE ALSO COULD STILL BE
INVESTIGATIONS IN WASHINGTON,
D.C. INTO THE CAPITOL RIOT.
AND PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD FACE
CRIMINAL OR CIVIL CHARGES THERE.
IN GEORGIA, PROSECUTORS ARE
INVESTIGATING TRUMP’S EFFORTS TO
PRESSURE STATE ELECTION
OFFICIALS TO OVERTURN THAT
STATE’S VOTE.
JOINING US NOW, FORMER U.S.
ATTORNEY FOR THE NORTHERN
DISTRICT OF ALABAMA AND MSNBC
LEGAL ANALYST, JOYCE VANCE.
IT’S GOOD TO SEE YOU.
WE HEARD THIS DIRECTLY FROM
MITCH McCONNELL.
AFTER HE VOTED TO ACQUIT, HE
SAID, YES, I VOTED TO ACQUIT BUT
I WILL LEAVE IT TO THE COURTS TO
THIS IMPEACHMENT TRIAL.
IF YOU ARE DONALD TRUMP, WHERE
WOULD YOU BE LOOKING FIRST FOR
YOUR GREATEST EXPOSURE AND
THREAT?
>> MITCH McCONNELL WAS QUICK TO
KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD TO
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT NOT
REALIZING THERE WERE TWO
PURPOSES SERVED IN THE
IMPEACHMENT AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
SYSTEM.
BUT THE FORMER PRESIDENT FACES A
THREE-RING CIRCUS HERE.
EACH OF THE DISTRICTS POSES ETA
REAL THREAT TO HIM IN SOME CASES
IN NEW YORK, THERE APPEAR TO BE
CRIMINAL PROSPECTS FROM THE
STATE AND FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
LET’S TALK ABOUT GEORGIA,
WILLIE.
IT SEEMS TAILOR MADE FOR THE
PRESIDENT’S CONDUCT.
OF COURSE IT’S ON TAPE, WHICH IS
SOMETHING PROSECUTORS LIKE TO
HAVE WHEN THEY TALK TO JURIES.
THE CHARGE WOULD BE SOMETHING IN
THE AREA OF SOLICITATION OF THE
GEORGIA SECRETARY OF STATE TO
ENGAGE IN ELECTION FRAUD WITH
THE FORMER PRESIDENT, WHO WAS
VERY SPECIFIC.
HE ASKED FOR PRECISELY THE
NUMBER OF VOTES THAT HE WOULD
NEED TO WIN THE STATE OF GEORGIA
TO BE FOUND FOR HIM.
SO IT’S ON TAPE.
YOU PLAY IT TO THE JURY.
THEN WHAT HAPPENS?
THE CHARGE COULD BE A
MISDEMEANOR OR A FELONY,
DEPENDING HOW IT’S CHARGED.
IF IT’S A FELONY, THE SENTENCING
IS ONE TO THREE YEARS.
THIS WOULD BE A FIRST-TIME
OFFENSE, NON-VIOLENT OFFENSE.
SO IT WOULD BE UP TO THE STATE
COURT JUDGE WHETHER HE WOULD
SUBJECT THE FORMER PRESIDENT TO
PRISON OR SOME KIND OF
PROBATION.
BUT THAT LOOKS LIKE A VERY REAL
PROSPECT.
ONE CAVEAT, THE EVIDENCE HAS TO
BE DEVELOPED IN THE COURSE OF AN
INVESTIGATION.
EXCULPATORY EVIDENCE YOU DON’T
EXPECT TURNS UP.
THIS IS NOT A FAST PROCESS.
YOU HAVE TO USE A GRAND JURY,
SUBPOENAS.
IT IS NOT TO SAY THAT
PROSECUTORS ARE MOVING SLOWLY.
BUT THE PROCESS ITSELF IS NOT
ONE DESIGNED FOR SPEED.
WE’RE NOT LOOKING, I DON’T
THINK, IN SOMETHING IN THE NEXT
30 OR 60 DAYS.
ALTHOUGH SOME OF THE NEW YORK
INVESTIGATIONS LOOK LIKE THEY
ARE FURTHER ALONG.
CERTAINLY THE NOTORIOUS SOUTHERN
DISTRICT OF NEW YORK CASE
INVOLVING MICHAEL COHEN, WHERE
THE PRESIDENT IS INDIVIDUAL
NUMBER 1.
.
>> AND THE PRESIDENT INFAMOUSLY
ASKING TO FIND 11,780 VOTES, ONE
MORE VOTE NEEDED TO SWING THE
ELECTION IN HIS DIRECTION.
IN NEW YORK, THERE IS ALWAYS SO
MUCH SWIRLING IT IS HARD TO SIFT
IT ALL.
AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION, REAL ESTATE
DEALINGS, TAX FRAUD.
WHERE IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM, AS
YOU SEE IT, FOR FORMER PRESIDENT
TRUMP IN NEW YORK IN HIS HOME
CITY?
>> SIGH VANCE, HAS OPENED A CAN
OF WORMS.
ONCE YOU START INVESTIGATING ONE
AREA OF THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION’S
WORK, YOU DON’T HAVE TO PUT ON
BLINDERS.
OTHER INSTANCES OF POTENTIAL
CRIMINAL CONDUCT COME TO LIGHT,
THEN THE INVESTIGATION FOLLOWS
THE EVIDENCE.
IT DOESN’T JUST FOCUS ON THE
CRIME YOU IDENTIFY AT THE
OUTSET.
IT LOOKS LIKE IN MANHATTAN,
WHERE THEY HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR
A FEW YEARS NOW, THEY HAVE SUNK
THEIR TEETH INTO SOME VARIETY OF
FRAUD.
AND THIS COULD BE A REAL PROBLEM
FOR THE PRESIDENT BECAUSE OF THE
ABILITY TO GET PAPER THAT BACKS
UP THESE SORTS OF ALLEGATIONS.
BUT NO ONE SHOULD PRETEND THE
CASES ARE EASY.
THEY ALMOST ALWAYS TURN ON
WILLFULNESS OR INTENT.
THAT MEANS PROSECUTORS HAVE TO
JUMP INTO THE MIND OF A
DEFENDANT AND PROVE WHAT THEY
WERE DOING IS SOMETHING THEY
INTENDED TO DO, THAT IT WASN’T
SIMPLY A MISTAKE OR SOMETHING
THAT WAS DONE INADVERTENTLY.
THAT YOU CHEATED ON YOUR TAXES
ON PURPOSE, NOT BECAUSE YOU GOT
THE NUMBERS WRONG AS A RESULT OF
AN ACCIDENT.
THESE CASES ARE NOT
STRAIGHTFORWARD.
>> JONATHAN LEMIRE, THERE IS THE
CASE IN WASHINGTON, D.C. WHERE
THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS
SIGNALED THAT OFFICE MAY LOOK
INTO THE PRESIDENT’S ROLE INTO
THE ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL