(NEW YORK) – The Trump Organization’s chief financial officer surrendered to authorities on Thursday, as he and the former US president’s company of the same name prepare to face their first criminal charges in a case involving the Republican leader. for years.
Allen Weisselberg, a veteran Trump aide who helped him manage his real estate empire during his presidency, entered a building that houses the Manhattan criminal court.
Both Weisselberg and the Trump Organization are expected to be prosecuted later in the day in the investigation led by District Attorney Cyrus Vance, a person familiar with the process said.
In a statement, the Trump Organization accused prosecutors of using Weisselberg as a pawn to target the former president, according to ABC News. A copy of the statement was not immediately available.
Trump himself is not expected to be charged this week, although prosecutors have said their investigation into the company is continuing, his attorney Ronald Fischetti said.
The former president denies any accusation and calls the investigations a “witch hunt” by politically motivated prosecutors. Vance is a Democrat.
Thursday’s allegations are expected to center on whether Weisselberg and other executives received perks and benefits, such as free apartments and rented cars, without properly reporting them on their tax returns, people familiar with the case said.
Vance’s office has also been working with investigators from New York Attorney General Letitia James.
Fischetti said Monday that prosecutors suggested the charges would be related to taxes and windfall profits. “That will be his first hit,” he said.
Mary Mulligan, Weisselberg’s attorney, declined to comment on possible prosecutions.
In a statement released Monday, Trump said prosecutors are biased and that his company’s actions “do not constitute a crime in any way.”
The turn in the investigations could complicate Trump’s political future as he considers a possible 2024 run for the White House. The Trump Organization could face fines and other penalties if convicted.
