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Trump Group CFO Allen Weisselberg will plead not responsible on indictment

Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg will plead not guilty on indictment

Allen Weisselberg, Chief Financial Officer of the Trump Organization, surrendered to the Manhattan prosecutor on Thursday morning over an indictment that also accused ex-President Donald Trump of doing business.

Weißelberg, who served Trump as a loyal executive officer for decades, is likely to face criminal charges later in a state court that NBC News reported was related to ancillary benefits from the Trump organization. At about the same time, the indictment is unsealed.

The Trump organization is represented in the court proceedings by a lawyer.

Although the Trump organization is being charged as a company in the case, Trump himself is not being charged personally. The company faces possible fines and other sanctions if convicted.

Weisselberg 73, walked into the Lower Manhattan attorney’s office at 6:17 a.m. to handle the case.

His lawyers, Mary Mulligan and Bryan Skarlatos, said in a statement: “Mr. Weisselberg intends to plead not guilty and will address these allegations in court.”

The indictment was brought up on Wednesday by a grand jury at the behest of the prosecutor and New York attorney general Letitia James.

Prosecutor Cyrus Vance Jr. refused to comment on the case as he passed reporters asking if he had anything to say.

“Just good morning and I’ll see you at 2:15,” Vance said, referring to the probable time of the indictment.

Allen Weisselberg, CFO of the Trump Organization.

Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images

Shortly after Weisselberg’s surrender, the Trump organization blew up Vance.

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“Allen Weisselberg is a loving and devoted husband, father and grandfather who worked for the Trump organization for 48 years,” a company spokesman said in a statement.

“He is now being used by the Manhattan District Attorney as a pawn in a scorched earth attempt to harm the former president,” the spokesman said.

“The district attorney is bringing a criminal prosecution with employee benefits that neither the IRS nor any other district attorney would ever think of. This is not justice, this is politics.”

Vance’s office has been investigating the Trump organization on various issues for several years.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance arrives at the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in New York, United States, on Thursday, July 1, 2021.

Mark Kauzlarich | Bloomberg | Getty Images

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Politics

Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg faces felony tax investigation

Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg faces criminal tax investigation

The then-elected President Donald Trump arrives with his son Donald Jr. for a press conference at Trump Tower in New York, as Allen Weisselberg (C), CFO of The Trump, sees on January 11, 2017.

Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images

The Trump Organization’s longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg is under criminal investigation by the New York Attorney General’s office over his personal taxes, an official close to the investigation told NBC News.

The investigation comes as prosecutors at the Manhattan Public Prosecutor’s Office eye Weisselberg and his adult sons in their own criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump and the Trump Organization.

The news of the investigation comes two days after Attorney General Letitia James’ spokesman said her office was investigating the Trump organization in “a criminal capacity”. Several investigators from the AG’s office were deployed to work with the Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance team.

James was previously known to be conducting a civil investigation of the company into allegations that the value of real estate was misrepresented for financial gain. Weisselberg had been dismissed by James’ investigators as part of that investigation.

Weisselberg’s attorney Mary Mulligan declined to comment on the criminal investigation into his personal taxes, first reported by the New York Times.

A Trump Organization spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The official, who spoke to NBC News, said the investigation into James’ Weisselberg office was due in part to documents his former daughter-in-law Jennifer Weisselberg shared with investigators.

Jennifer Weisselberg, a former ballet dancer, has also provided Vance investigators with recordings for their own investigation and has met with those investigators several times.

Her attorney, Duncan Levin, told WNBC News: “Ms. Weisselberg has been in contact with prosecutors in the Criminal Investigation Department of the New York Attorney General for at least March.”

Levin added, “She has provided information to them as part of her criminal investigation and will continue to work together in any way that she can help.”

Jennifer Weisselberg’s ex-husband Barry is a long-time employee of the Trump Organization.

She recently told NBC News that Allen Weisselberg “is discussing everything with Trump about how the company works financially.”

“And Donald trusts that he will continue the legacy as his father set things up,” she said.

Vance’s office is keeping an eye on the benefits Barry Weisselberg has received from the Trump Organization. This includes an apartment in Central Park where Jennifer and Barry lived rent-free for several years.

Trump beat up James on Wednesday for investigating his company.

“There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation desperately looking for a crime,” Trump said.

“But make no mistake, this is exactly what is happening here.”