Former President Donald Trump achieved a rare legal victory on Thursday when a Democratic prosecutor in New York announced that she would drop charges from a multiyear investigation into a Trump golf course, revolving around the allegation that Trump or his company, the Trump Organization, had been giving misleading valuations to reduce their taxes on properties they held.
The Westchester County District Attorney Miriam Rocah confirmed that she had reached this conclusion after an investigation that she stated was carried out “objectively, and independent of politics, party affiliation and personal or political beliefs.” No charges were forthcoming against Trump or the Trump Organization.
The heart of the investigation was Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor, situated a stone’s throw from Manhattan, around 29 miles to the north. Records from the golf course and the town of Ossining, tasked with handling the course’s taxes, were brought into the light by Rocah’s office.
The news may be a welcome relief for the controversial former president, who has found himself embattled by increasingly aggressive legal issues from the multiple investigations which are ongoing against him. Trump was arraigned earlier this year on charges related to the alleged payment of hush money to pornographic actress Stormy Daniels and indicted last week on charges related to an investigation of alleged mishandling of classified documents.
“AFTER GOING THROUGH A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FOR TWO YEARS BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK, IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE CASE HAS BEEN DROPPED, AND NO CHARGES WILL BE FILED,” the former president said in a post
The Trump Organization had always faced the investigations with fierce resistance, calling them a partisan “witch hunt” and tagging Rocah’s probe as politically charged and misguided. Amid the backdrop of the tax probe, the Trump Organization had been doggedly fighting to keep their taxes low, similar to many property owners. They had been engaged in a long-standing disagreement with Ossining over tax assessments for the Briarcliff Manor course.
Trump and his company have also been accused of inflating the value of assets to curry favor with lenders and business associates. New York Attorney General Letitia James had taken legal action against Trump and the Trump Organization the previous year. She alleged they had misled banks and others with false information about his net worth and the value of assets such as hotels and golf courses. This case, which includes allegations of the company inflating the value of the Briarcliff Manor golf club by millions of dollars, is expected to reach trial in October.