Growing legal threats weigh on Trump while almost all the organizations he's led are under investigation

Two years after Donald Trump won the presidency, almost all the organizations that 39, he directed during the last decade are the subject of an investigation.

Trump's private company faces civil litigation against foreign governments and imminent public inquiries into its tax practices.

The 2016 Trump campaign is closely scrutinized by Special Advocate Robert S. Mueller III, who opened an investigation. Russia's interference has already resulted in guilty pleas by its campaign chairman and his four advisers.

Mueller investigated the inauguration of Mr. Trump's new committee to search for illegal donations from abroad, a topic on which the next chairman of the House's intelligence committee plans to pursue his investigation. [19659007] Trump's charity is engaged in an ongoing lawsuit with the state of New York, which has laid the groundwork for "continuing illegal conduct."

Mounting investigations are being built in a waterfall legal challenges threatening to dominate Trump's third year in the White House In a few weeks, Democrats will take over the House and continue their own investigations on all the above – and more.

The ultimate consequences for Trump are still unclear.The Justice Department's previous opinions have ruled that 39, a sitting president can not be charged with a federal crime.

Democrats in the House could possibly seek to overthrow Trump, but for the moment, his r Evocation seems unlikely: it would require the support of two-thirds of the Senate, which is controlled by the Republicans.

Immediate impact, however, had an immediate impact on a president who was used to dictating the country. news cycles but now struggling to keep up with them: Trump was forced to spend his political capital – and his party's – for his defense.

On Capitol Hill this week, tired Republicans of the Senate escaped. The reporters avoid questions about Trump and his long-time repairman, Michael Cohen – and about Cohen's audience claim that he was hiding Trump's "dirty acts" when he paid two women who claimed to have had relations with the president before his election.

"I do not do any interviews on anything to do with Trump and that sort of thing, okay?" Said Sen. James E. Risch (R-Idaho).

"There is no doubt that it is a distraction from things that obvi We would like to see him spend his time on it, and things we would like to spend our time on," said Sen. John Thune ( RS.D.) "So that's why I hope that some of these things will come to an end soon and that we will get answers, that we will be able to draw conclusions and that we will be able to continue from there."

Sen Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Summed up the situation in another way: "It was a bad week for Individual Number One," referring to the code name that Manhattan attorneys used to classify the president. in their statements to the court.

Trump Lawyer Rudolph Giuliani did not respond to a request for comment. White House officials or the Trump Organization either.

While the bad news is coming, the presid he has reduced his public schedule. He spent more time than usual in his official residence this week, with over two dozen hours of unstructured "executive time," said one person familiar with his schedule.

In several tweets on Thursday, Trump tried to cast doubt on two former advisers who cooperated with investigators. Cohen, Trump said, only wanted a reduced prison sentence. Former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, he said, fell victim to FBI scare tactics.

Then, after explaining in detail how the two men were deceived, Trump attempted to summarize his increasingly complex problems with a simple explanation.

"WITCH HUNT!" He writes .

"He's just never been targeted by such an investigation," said Timothy L. O. Brien, a journalist who wrote a biography of Trump, adding that the mogul's "nabob" was not the subject of any such investigation. Long-time real estate had struggled with many legal proceedings during his career in the business world, but had never been the subject of legal threats of this magnitude. "The kind of legal control they're currently getting – and the potential consequences of that control – are nothing like what Donald Trump or his children have ever experienced."

The Investigation into the Special Advocate

Mueller's investigation began in May 2017 after the dismissal of the FBI's director by James B. Comey. Mandate of the Special Council: Investigate Russia's interference in the 2016 campaign and determine if the Kremlin was working with Trump's associates. Mueller also examines whether the president has sought to obstruct the investigation of Russia.

To date, Mueller has filed a complaint against 33 people. This includes 26 Russian nationals – some of whom allegedly stole e-mails and other data from American political parties, others allegedly sought to influence public opinion through fake ads on social networks .

Several Trump aides also pleaded guilty.

Paul Manafort, the former Trump campaign chairman, was convicted in August of being charged with tax and bank fraud and pleaded guilty in September on charges of conspiracy and misconduct. obstruction not related to the work that he had done for the campaign. He agrees to cooperate with Mueller's investigation – although the office of the special council has recently said he was lying to the investigators.

[Who’s been charged in Mueller-linked probes, and why]

Flynn, the former Trump National Security Advisor, admitted to lying to the FBI about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. Rick Gates, former deputy campaign chairman of Trump, admitted to conspiring and lying to the FBI. Former foreign policy advisor George Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia. Cohen admitted to lying about efforts to build a Trump project in Moscow that would have lasted until Trump's presidency. All agreed to cooperate with the investigators.

It is unclear what Mueller's investigation is about – and if it will end with a series of indictments that will go further into the world of Trump or through a written report submitted to the Department of Justice.

Trump repeatedly reiterated denied the existence of any "collusion" between his associates and Russia and attacked the investigation as a fishing expedition led by politically biased prosecutors. Advisers said he had recently stepped up his attacks – hoping to undermine confidence in Mueller's work – because he felt the investigation was at a critical juncture.

The Survey of Financing the Election Campaign

In addition, federal prosecutors in Manhattan opened another investigation. who emerged from the 2016 campaign: hidden sums paid by Cohen to two women who claimed to have had extramarital affairs with Trump.

Cohen, sentenced Wednesday to three years in prison for what one judge described as a "genuine" guilty plea for payment-related campaign finance offenses "

Cohen also named who had him asked to pay the women: Trump.

"He was very worried about how this would affect the election," Cohen told ABC News in an interview broadcast on Friday.

Trump denied telling Cohen to violate the law by buying the silence of Playboy's ex-girlfriend, Karen McDougal, and adult films, tar Stormy Daniels.He also stated that Cohen, as a lawyer, assumed responsibility for any campaign finance offense.

"I never ordered him to do anything wrong," Trump told Fox News on Thursday. "Whatever he did, he did it all alone. "

Prosecutors also revealed Wednesday that they had entered into a non-suing agreement with AMI, the company producing the tabloid National Enquirer, for its role in the project.

The company admitted that it had helped pay one of Trump's accusers during the campaign. According to the documents filed by the court, he had declared having done so in "cooperation, consultation and consultation" with one or more members of the Trump campaign.

It Is Unclear Whether Prosecutors Will Prosecute Charges Against Campaign or Trump Officials,

But At the White House, Councilors Lamented That This Case – Not That Mueller – may pose the greatest threat to Trump's presidency. Democrats in the House have already indicated that allegations of election campaign funding may be a potential basis for the impeachment process.

Control of the inaugural committee

The nearly 107 million dollars donated to Trump's inaugural committee attracted the attention of Mueller, who investigated to determine whether it is illegal foreign contributions were used to help organize the festivities.

The Special Council has already referred one of these cases to federal prosecutors in Washington. In late August, an American political consultant, W. Samuel Patten, admitted to having transferred $ 50,000 from a Ukrainian politician to the inaugural committee through a straw donor.

Patten pleaded guilty to failing to register as a foreign lobbyist and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors. Adam 1965 Schiff (D-Calif.), The new chairman of the Intelligence Committee of the House of Representatives, said on Friday that his panel was planning to investigate "illegal foreign financing or involvement in the inauguration".

[Schiff says House Intelligence panel will examine possible foreign funding of Trump’s inaugural committee]

The Wall Street Journal reported this week that federal prosecutors in New York were investigating whether the inaugural committee misused its funds. This report has not been independently confirmed by the Washington Post.

Committee officials, chaired by Trump's friend Tom Barrack, said they abided by "all applicable laws and disclosure requirements" and did not receive any requests from Disc recording. Prosecutors.

White House spokesman Hogan Gidley told reporters this week that questions about the committee's practices had "nothing to do with the President of the United States."

Lawsuits Against Remuneration

Trump also faces a pair of civil lawsuits lawsuits alleging that he had violated the Constitution by doing business with foreign governments and state governments while exercising his functions.

Trump still owns his private company, although he claims to have handed over daily control to his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric. Asset. Since the election of 2016, Trump companies have organized parties for foreign embassies, hosted the Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Governor of Maine, and rented over 500 rooms to lobbyists paid by the Saudi government.

The lawsuits allege that such transactions violate a constitutional prohibition of presidents taking emoluments or payments from foreign governments or states. A complaint has been filed by congressional Democrats; the other by the Democratic Attorneys General of Maryland and District of Columbia.

"What we want is to be able to link the flow of money from foreign and domestic sovereigns into Donald Trump's portfolio," said Karl A. Racine (D), the Attorney General. from DC. He described the emoluments clauses as "the first law on the corruption of our country".

The plaintiffs are seeking to ban Trump from doing business with the governments. But the most immediate threat to Trump and his company is the judicial discovery process, in which plaintiffs look for documents detailing his foreign clients, how much they paid – and how much they ended up in the president's pockets.

So far, Trump – who is represented by the Department of Justice and a private attorney – has not been able to have the case dismissed or the discovery of the case.

Earlier this month, the two attorneys general sent Trump's company a series of subpoenas. They expect to receive answers early next year.

Survey of the State of New York

In New York, where Trump's business is based, New Attorney General Letitia James (D) prepares to open several investigations into certain aspects of her business . 19659060] "We will use all areas of law to investigate President Trump and his business transactions as well as those of his family," James told NBC News.

She indicated that she wished to know if Trump had violated the clause of emoluments. by doing business with foreign governments in New York and examining the New York Times detailed allegations that Trump's company has been engaged in dubious tax practices for decades.

The New York State Tax Agency also announced the opening of an investigation into its tax practices.

Earlier this year, New York State Attorney General Barbara Underwood filed a lawsuit against Trump and her three eldest children, alleging "persistent illegal conduct." "At the Donald J. Trump Foundation, a case that resulted in a report from The Post in 2016.

Trump is charged with violating several charity laws, including using the money from this organization to settle legal transactions for its for-profit businesses. He used the foundation to buy a portrait of himself hanging in one of his complexes. Trump would also have allowed his presidential campaign to dictate donations from the charity in 2016, despite laws banning charities from participating in campaigns.

The Attorney General has asked Trump to pay at least $ 2.8 million in penalties and restitution and to deny him access. having run a charity in New York for 10 years.

Trump called the trial "politically motivated and ridiculous".

Last month, a judge in the state of New York rejected a request for dismissal of the lawsuit by his lawyers. 19659068] At the same time, a defamation suit against Summer Trump by former "Apprentice" candidate, Summer Zervos, was also quietly brought to court in New York.

A judge authorized Zervos to conduct a questioning (including possibly the dismissal of the president) while both parties were waiting. for a group of New York appeals judges to rule on Trump's latest decision to block the lawsuit.

Trump argued that "in his capacity as current president, he was immune from the claims of the foundation and the Zervos case. He argues that the Clinton v. Jones of 1997, which stipulated that presidents did not enjoy any civil immunity, did not apply to state courts.

Alice Crites, Josh Dawsey, Jonathan O. Connell and Tom Hamburger Michael Kranish, Carol D. Leonnig, Elise Viebeck, and John Wagner contributed to this report.