A senior Manhattan prosecutor who investigated Donald Trump believed that the former president was “guilty of numerous felony violations” and that it was “a grave failure of justice” not to hold him accountable, reports the New York Times. Those statements appeared in Mark Pomerantz's resignation letter to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, on February 23. The resignation came after Bragg's decision to stop pursuing a criminal indictment of Trump for an investigation relating to his practices as head of the Trump Organization. Pomerantz, a former federal prosecutor and white-collar defense attorney who came out of retirement to pursue the case, said Bragg's decision was "contrary to the public interest." Pomerantz went on to write, “The team that has been investigating Mr. Trump harbors no doubt about whether he committed crimes—he did.” His resignation came on the same day as Carey Dunne, another senior prosecutor.
Pomerantz and Dunne wanted to charge Trump with falsifying business records, specifically his annual financial statements, a felony. Had the case been filed, Trump would have become the first U.S. president to face criminal charges. Bragg was concerned that the office would not be able to prove Trump had knowingly falsified the value of his assets in annual financial statements, a necessary element. Bragg's concerns led him to conclude that the office should not continue presenting evidence to a grand jury, though he said that his office is still continuing to investigate the matter in some capacity. Bragg's predecessor, Cyrus Vance Jr., had decided to pursue an indictment in the waning days of his term last year, but was not able to secure one. Pomerantz's letter said that “No case is perfect," and that “Whatever the risks of bringing the case may be, I am convinced that a failure to prosecute will pose much greater risks in terms of public confidence in the fair administration of justice.”