Trump Faces 'Bad Year' in 2023, Likely to Be Charged: Former Prosecutor

Jordan Rubin, a former prosecutor at the Manhattan district attorney's office, predicted that 2023 could be a "bad year" for former President Donald Trump in which he might face criminal charges in the ongoing investigations against him.

In a MSNBC op-ed published on Sunday, Rubin listed some ongoing investigations against Trump that might conclude with his indictment this year or before the 2024 presidential election. Those cases include Trump's mishandling of highly classified White House documents that he took with him after leaving office, and alleged efforts by him and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election results.

"So with all of that looming, is it really possible for Trump not to be charged anywhere? Sure. But that seems unlikely at this point. And, partly because of the challenges of accusing a potential president of crimes, any prosecutor bringing charges will want to do so by next year," wrote Rubin, who is a MSNBC blogger focusing on legal analysis.

He continued: "That wouldn't eliminate the novel issues of charging a 2024 presidential candidate even in 2023, which would prompt a series of unprecedented legal questions, as Trump is wont to do. What seems clear, though, is that the former president is poised for a bad year."

Trump's legal challenges have piled up on federal and state levels, however experts still can't determine which investigation could be his greatest threat because the potential outcome of each investigation varies. One probe could be a clear win for the prosecution, while another could "reverberate across the whole legal and political system," Michael McAuliffe, a former federal prosecutor and Florida state attorney, told Newsweek on Thursday.

Trump is being probed by Department of Justice (DOJ) as it continues to investigate his mishandling of hundreds of highly classified documents that were seized by the FBI from his Mar-a-Lago estate in August. The former president has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said that he declassified those documents before removing them from the White House.

In addition, the probe by the House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot has been one of the forefront investigations against Trump. The committee released its final report last month, outlining evidence of alleged efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 election results.

"And those are just some of the charges Trump could face this year," Rubin wrote in his op-ed predicting that the ex-president "will be charged with crimes in 2023."

"The former president should be worried about the states, too," Rubin added, referencing to the probes in Georgia and in New York, where Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has already successfully convicted the Trump Organization of a 15-year-old tax scam. Bragg is currently launching a fourth criminal investigation against Trump.

Meanwhile, Trump is facing a legal battle with a probe looking into his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. The special grand jury investigating the case wrapped up its work this week after considering evidence and key testimony against him.

The special grand jury is expected to produce its final report with recommendations on further steps. Then, the Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis will decide whether or not to select a regular grand jury, which has the power to issue indictments.

"And while the investigations are separate, the explosive Jan. 6 committee findings could boost Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' investigation in Georgia," Rubin wrote in his op-ed.

The former prosecutor said earlier on in his article that "on the one hand, it's unremarkable to prophesy that a man who's facing several probes by federal and state prosecutors for conduct that looks pretty unlawful will be charged with crimes. On the other hand, it's Trump, whose name hasn't been synonymous with accountability. There's reason to think that will change."

Newsweek reached out to Trump's media office for comment.