Allen Weisselberg Surrenders to Authorities; Top Trump Executive to Face Charges
The long-serving chief financial officer of former President Donald J. Trump, Allen H. Weisselberg, surrendered on Thursday to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to face charges in relation to a tax investigation filed against him and the Trump Organization, people familiar with the matter stated.
The exact charges that Weisselberg and the Trump Organization would be facing were not yet revealed. Prosecutors were expected to unseal the indictment within the day against Weisselberg and the organization that catapulted Trump not only into tabloids but also in the White House.
According to The New York Times, Mary E. Mulligan, the lawyer of Trump's Chief Financial Officer Allen H. Weisselberg accompanied her client to walk into the Lower Manhattan building at around 6:20 a.m. The building houses the criminal courts and the district attorney's office. Weisselberg is expected to appear in court in the afternoon alongside Trump Organization's representatives.
The sweeping inquiry into the business practices of Trump and his company conducted by the district attorneys resulted in charges against the Trump Organization where Weisselberg worked as the CFO.
Prosecutors in the office of the district attorney led by Cyrus R. Vance Jr. had been examining if Weisselberg failed to pay taxes on valuable benefits that he received from Trump. Weisselberg and his family received from Trump private school tuition for at least one of his grandchildren, free apartments, and leased cars, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Lawyers from the office of the New York State attorney general, Letitia James, worked alongside prosecutors in investigating the Trump Organization. They checked whether the organization failed to pay payroll taxes on what should have been taxable income.
When asked about any information regarding the reason behind his client's surrender, Mulligan declined to answer.
However, in a statement issued by the Trump Organization, Weisselberg was being used as a pawn in an attempt to harm Donald Trump. The statement also mentioned that the district attorney brought prosecutors everything that they could to uncover any flaw. The statement emphasized that it is no longer justice, it's already politics.
ALSO READ : NY Prosecutors in Donald Trump's Case Convene Grand Jury To Hear Evidence in Criminal Investigation
Impact on Trump
Former President Donald Trump was not expected to face charges Thursday but an indictment of the company under his name would hurt the former president's image. The current issue would also be used against him if he would mount another presidential campaign.
The charges also could strain the company's relationship with business partners who stood by the organization despite the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The Capitol riot prompted a backlash against the former president.
During a Fox News town hall appearance Wednesday, Trump mentioned the investigation only in passing DAs he listed in his history of legal battles. Trump stated that New York radical left prosecutors come after him. However, Trump stated that he has to fight always.
There is still a continuing investigation into Trump and his company's business practices. The prosecutors have been investigating whether the former president and the Trump Organization manipulated the values of the properties that they had to obtain loans and tax benefits.
RELATED ARTICLE : Trump Organization Gets Examined by NY Prosecutors Over Cash Bonuses
WATCH: Trump Organization CFO surrenders to authorities, reports NBC News - CNBC News
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