A city, a county, a state and the country:
Rudy Giuliani, his attorney Robert Costello (left) and Vernon Jones, a former Georgia representative (right) arrive at Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta on August 17, 2022.
A version of this story appears in CNN's What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.(CNN)Former President Donald Trump has created a unique gravitational pull for lawsuits and investigations that often hit the people in his orbit but have not yet landed on him.Now there's a burst of activity from the authorities circling around him -- federal, state, city and county prosecutors -- who are all considering ways to hold him accountable for:His personal business.His treatment of classified data as he left the White House.His anti-democratic efforts to overturn the 2020 election.Unless you've been on Mars for the summer, you know that his Florida home was searched by the FBI for possible mishandling of classified documents.But there are so many more cases that touch Trump.Consider the recent developments regarding his business dealings:
- Trump's business -- CNN reported Wednesday that the Trump Organization's former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, is expected to plead guilty to a 15-year tax fraud scheme and serve jail time. But Weisselberg will not cooperate with authorities against Trump, although he could testify if Trump or his adult children are ever charged. Read CNN's full report.
- The same week Trump's Florida home was searched by the FBI, the former President was under oath in New York.
- Trump's finances -- He and two of his adult children have testified as part of a civil investigation by the New York attorney general into whether the Trump Organization misled lenders, insurers and tax authorities. Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination. This inquiry is separate from the criminal investigation of the Trump Organization pursed by the Manhattan district attorney's office.
Trump's efforts to overturn the 2020 election have sparked their own subset of legal issues, one of which was on major display Wednesday in Atlanta.
Georgia's 2020 election results -- His former lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, was on Wednesday in front of a grand jury investigating Trump's effort to find votes and overturn Georgia's 2020 election results. Giuliani was described by CNN's reporter as defiant and exuding confidence. This investigation is being conducted by the Fulton County district attorney.
- 2020 election -- While the Fulton County inquiry is focused just on Georgia, the US Department of Justice appears to be conducting a larger inquiry into January 6, 2021, and the events surrounding the Capitol insurrection. CNN reported earlier this week that former White House lawyer Eric Herschmann, who was featured in the House January 6 committee hearings, is just the latest White House official under Trump to be subpoenaed by a federal grand jury.