Toward the end of December, The New York Times reported that Rosemary Vrablic, who oversaw hundreds of millions of dollars in loans to former President Donald Trump’s company, would step down effective December 31. The reason for her departure was unclear at the time.
Now, following the release of regulatory records released yesterday with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, it is clear that Vrablic engaged in undisclosed activities related to a real estate investment … including the purchase of the property from a client-managed entity, and the formation of an unapproved outside entity to hold the investment.”
Vrablic was “permitted to resign,” according to these records, which focused on a 2013 deal between Vrablic and Bergel 715 Associates after a New York Times report revealed she and two of her associates purchased a Manhattan apartment for $1.5 million. A financial disclosure showed that Jared Kusher, Trump’s son-in-law and former senior adviser, had a small ownership stake in Bergel 715 Associates.
The news of Vrablic’s departure is just one part of the saga involving Deutsche Bank, which has weathered heavy criticism for its financial dealings with Trump.
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Over the summer, Deutsche Bank cooperated with prosecutors in New York after they subpoenaed Trump’s financial records as part of a criminal probe. Deutsche Bank also provided records Trump and the Trump Organization had given the bank when he was seeking loans.
Letitia James, the New York Attorney General, has vowed to continue the investigation into Trump’s businesses. This is a civil matter, not a criminal one, but James has the authority to refer any alleged criminality to the Southern District of New York (SDNY) which has been investigating Trump for campaign finance violations since his former attorney Michael Cohen‘s Congressional testimony clued investigators in on “Individual 1” and hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels to buy her silence ahead of the 2016 election.
Alan is a writer, editor, and news junkie based in New York.
