NEW YORK听鈥听Former US President Donald听J.听Trump鈥檚 namesake company and its chief financial officer were indicted on Wednesday, a person familiar with the matter said, the first charges to arise from a more than two-year probe by New York prosecutors of听Mr.听Trump and his business dealings.听
The charges by a Manhattan grand jury against the Trump Organization and its CFO Allen听Weisselberg听are expected to be unsealed on Thursday.听
听Mr.听Weisselberg听is expected to surrender to authorities on Thursday morning, the person said, and will be formally charged in the New York Supreme Court in Manhattan on Thursday afternoon.听
Mr.听Trump himself is not expected to be charged this week, his lawyer has said, though the blowback from the case could complicate Trump鈥檚 political future as he considers a 2024 White House run.听
The criminal case stems from the probe by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance in collaboration with New York state Attorney general Letitia James. It is expected to focus on whether听Mr.听Weisselberg听and other officials received perks and benefits such as rent-free apartments and leased cars without reporting them properly on their tax returns, people familiar with the probe have said.听
A spokesman for the Manhattan District Attorney declined to comment. A lawyer for听Mr.听Weisselberg听also declined to comment. And lawyers for Trump and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment.听
Mr.听Trump鈥檚 lawyer, Ronald Fischetti, told Reuters on Monday that prosecutors suggested the charges would be related to taxes and fringe benefits and said听Mr.听Trump himself would not be charged in the indictment.听
鈥淭his will be their first blow,鈥澨齅r.听Fischetti said of the prosecutors, adding that prosecutors had said in a meeting with them last week that they were still pursuing their investigation.听
Mr.听Trump, during a trip on Wednesday to Weslaco, Texas, near the Mexican border to criticize President Joseph听Biden听R. Biden, Jr.鈥檚 immigration policies, did not respond to questions shouted by reporters about the criminal charges.听
In a statement on Monday,听Mr.听Trump called prosecutors biased and said his company鈥檚 actions were听鈥渋n no way a crime.鈥听
The Trump Organization could face fines and other penalties if convicted.听
POTENTIAL听鈥楽CHEME TO DEFRAUD鈥櫶鼵HARGES
Charges could increase pressure on听Mr.听Weisselberg听to cooperate with prosecutors, which he has resisted.听Mr.听Weisselberg听is a close Trump confidant, making his cooperation potentially crucial to any future case against the former president.听
Court filings, public records and subpoenaed documents have shown that听Mr.听Weisselberg听and his son Barry have received perks and gifts potentially worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, including many benefits related to real estate.听
The case could be charged as a scheme by the company to pay people off the books in order to hide assets over many years.听
One possible charge would be听鈥渟cheme to defraud,鈥澨齛ccording to New York attorney Marc Scholl, a former prosecutor in the Manhattan DA鈥檚 office.听
鈥溾楽cheme to defraud鈥櫶齣s a crime that allows the prosecution to detail a narrative in the indictment describing the criminal conduct and how it originated, no matter how long ago the crime started,鈥澨齅r.听Scholl said.听
Mr.听Scholl said that the charges could also include a听鈥渟cheme to defraud under the tax law,鈥澨齱hich would carry far more serious penalties.听
Prosecutors in听Mr.听Vance鈥檚 office accelerated their focus on the Trump Organization鈥檚 use of perks and benefits last fall. The office of New York state Attorney General Letitia James, which had also been looking into the Trump Organization, said in May that its probe had turned into a criminal investigation and that it had joined forces with听Mr.听Vance鈥檚 office.听
Mr.听Vance, a Democrat, has in his nearly three-year investigation examined an array of potential wrongdoing, including whether听Mr.听Trump鈥檚 company manipulated the value of its real estate to reduce its taxes and secure favorable loan terms.听
Before entering the White House in 2017,听Mr.听Trump put his company into a trust overseen by his adult sons and听Mr.听Weisselberg, who has maintained tight control over its finances. It is unclear what role听Mr.听Trump now has at the company.听
The case could complicate Trump鈥檚 political future, as he flirts with a possible 2024 White House run.听
Jennifer听Weisselberg, the former wife of Barry听Weisselberg, has met with prosecutors half a dozen times.听
Her lawyer, Duncan Levin, told Reuters on Wednesday that听鈥渙ver the past half year, Jen has been cooperating with prosecutors. We have turned over a mountain of evidence to them to support these charges. We鈥檙e very gratified the DA’s office is moving forward with these charges.鈥听
In an interview with MSNBC, Jennifer听Weisselberg听said she would be prepared to testify while adding:听鈥淢y documents at this time are witnesses themselves. They are being used, and they’re being walked through the grand jury panel.鈥听
鈥淲e鈥檝e been going through questions pertaining to compensation, perks and taxes just to review how to … inform a grand jury,鈥澨齭he added.听鈥听Karen Freifeld/Reuters
