New York AG criminally probing CFO of Trump Organization over taxes — NYT

- Advertisement -

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James has been criminally investigating the chief financial officer of former President Donald Trump’s company for months over tax issues, the New York Times reported on Wednesday.

James’ office notified the Trump Organization in a January letter that it had opened a criminal investigation related to the chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, the newspaper said, citing people with knowledge of the matter.

The investigators have examined whether taxes were paid on fringe benefits that Trump gave him, including cars and tens of thousands of dollars in private school tuition for at least one of Weisselberg’s grandchildren, according to the newspaper.

- Advertisement -

Trump on Wednesday attacked New York state’s attorney general for launching a criminal probe of his family business, saying he was “being unfairly attacked and abused.”

“There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation that is in desperate search of a crime,” Trump said in a statement, adding that “we will overcome” any attempt at prosecution.

The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, which has been investigating whether the New York City-based Trump Organization falsely reported property values to secure loans and obtain economic and tax benefits, said on Tuesday its probe was no longer purely civil.

“We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan DA,” Fabien Levy, a spokesman for James, said in a statement, using the abbreviation for “district attorney.”

Trump on Wednesday assailed the investigation as politically motivated.

“The attorney general of New York literally campaigned on prosecuting Donald Trump even before she knew anything about me,” the Republican former president said. James is a Democrat.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has been investigating Trump’s pre-presidency business dealings for more than two years.

Vance’s office has said in court filings it was investigating “possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct” at the Trump Organization, including tax and insurance fraud and falsification of business records.

Author

- Advertisement -

Share post: