Trump Organization And Its Longtime Finance Chief Allen Weisselberg Gets Indicted

Criminal indictments have been filed against the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, by a Manhattan grand jury on Wednesday. However, the indictments will remain sealed until Thursday afternoon, which leave the exact charges unknown. Source close to the case have disclosed to the the Washington Post that the charges are related to allegations of unpaid taxes on benefits given to Trump Organization executives.

According to the source, Weisselberg is expected to submit himself for arraignment in front of a state court judge on Thursday. The Trump Organization is also expected to be arraigned. Indictments are expected to be unsealed following the arraignments.

Allen Weisselberg is chief financial officer who was in charge of the day-to-day management of the Trump organization, and has been a long-time friend and business partner of former president Trump.

The Trump Organization has been ridden with allegations which include that of allegedly paying members of staff off the books so as to avoid taxes. Other charges against the organization and its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, appear to involve non-monetary benefits the company gave to top executives, possibly including use of apartments, cars and school tuition.

The charges against Weisselberg and the Trump Organization would be first criminal cases to arise from the two-year probe led by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., a Democrat who leaves office at the end of the year.

Prosecutors have been scrutinizing Trump's tax records, subpoenaing documents and interviewing witnesses, including Trump insiders and company executives.

A grand jury was recent empaneled to weigh evidence and New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was assigning two of her lawyers to work with Vance on the criminal probe while she continues a civil investigation of Trump.

Messages seeking comment were left with a spokesperson and lawyers for the Trump Organization. Messages were also left with lawyers for Weisselberg and other company executives. The Manhattan district attorney's office declined to comment.

Trump's spokesperson did not immediately response to a request for comment, but Jason Miller, a longtime former senior adviser to the Republican, spun the looming charges as "politically terrible for the Democrats."

"They told their crazies and their supplicants in the mainstream media this was about President Trump. Instead, their Witch Hunt is persecuting an innocent 80 year-old man for maybe taking free parking!" Miller tweeted, apparently referring to Weisselberg, who is 73.