Mark Pomerantz, a former senior prosecutor on the Manhattan district attorney's team investigating former President Donald Trump and his organization's business dealings, said there are "many bits and pieces of evidence" the district attorney could use to bring criminal charges against the former president.
Pomerantz made the comments in a "60 Minutes" interview promoting a new book about his time investigating Trump, in which he compares him to John Gotti, the head of the Gambino organized crime family, also known as the "Teflon Don" who died in prison in 2002.
“His empire was built on lies.”
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) February 6, 2023
Mark Pomerantz said that in his investigation with the Manhattan DA’s office, his team came to believe that former President Trump lied about his assets to appear wealthier than he was in order to obtain favorable bank loans https://t.co/DTCXYW9FKN pic.twitter.com/D08hccVZVt
"If you take the exact same conduct — and make it not about Donald Trump and not about a former president of the United States, would the case have been indicted? It would have been indicted in a flat second," Pomerantz told CBS News' Bill Whitaker.
Attorney Mark Pomerantz believes the evidence his team analyzed shows that former President Donald Trump lied to banks about his net worth in order to secure favorable loans. Pomerantz says Trump should have been prosecuted for this. https://t.co/jhZIi36c2I pic.twitter.com/YdQAEUwlEB
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) February 6, 2023
New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit against Trump, the Trump Organization and his three eldest children, alleging they engaged in a decade-long fraud scheme by using false financial statements related to the company's business to obtain favorable loan and insurance rates and tax breaks.
The allegations come nearly a year after Pomerantz resigned from the DA's office. The release of his new book has prompted pushback from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
Bragg's office asked to review the book before its publication to ensure it wouldn't reveal information obtained from a grand jury, CNN reported.
"After closely reviewing all the evidence from Mr. Pomerantz's investigation, I came to the same conclusion as several senior prosecutors involved in the case, and also those I brought on: more work was needed," Bragg said in a statement to CNN. "Put another way, Mr. Pomerantz's plane wasn't ready for takeoff."
In January, a New York judge fined the Trump Organization $1.6 million for running a years-long tax fraud scheme. The Trump Corp. and Trump Payroll Corp. were convicted last year of 17 felonies, including tax fraud and falsifying business records. Trump himself was never charged or convicted.
Trump responded to the release of Pomerantz's book with a lengthy rant on Truth Social.
"Wow, the book just put out by Crooked Hillary Clinton's attorney, Mark Pomerantz, is turning out to be a hit on the District Attorney and the 'weak' case 'with many fatal flaws,'" he posted Friday night. "Prosecutors in the D.A.'s Office actually quit in protest in that they thought it was 'irresponsible' and very 'unfair' to 'President Trump.' They also felt they didn't want to rely on a SleazeBag disbarred Lawyer From Hell like Michael Cohen as a witness. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY THOUGHT THE CASE WAS TERRIBLE - A LOSER!"
Trump's lawyer also sent a letter to Pomerantz threatening legal action against the former prosecutor if he releases the book.
The lawyer, Joe Tacopina, said in a statement to CNN that Pomerantz's "desperate attempt to sell books will cost him everything. Not to mention, it is clear that he was very much in the minority in his position that President Trump committed a crime."
After the 60 Minutes interview aired, Trump returned to Truth Social, continuing to attack Pomerantz.
"Pomerantz & his law firm were Clinton's lawyers who then went to work for the D.A. to 'get Trump,' that Pomerantz & his antics make it impossible for me to be treated fairly, & NOBODY WAS HURT!" Trump said.
Pomerantz's book, "The People vs Donald Trump: An Inside Account," will be published on Tuesday. It lays out the complicated investigation into Trump and those close to him who were charged with crimes, according to an advance copy obtained by The New York Times.
"Pomerantz got himself a book deal, and is obsessively spreading falsehoods about me," Trump wrote on Sunday. "With all of this vicious disinformation being revealed by a 'prosecutor,' how can I ever be treated fairly in New York, or anywhere else? End the Witch Hunts!"
