Donald Trump鈥檚 company and his longtime finance chief are expected to be charged Thursday with tax-related crimes stemming from a New York investigation into the former president鈥檚 business dealings, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The charges and the company鈥檚 appear to involve non-monetary benefits the company gave to top executives, possibly including use of apartments, cars and school tuition.
The people were not authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation and did so on condition of anonymity. The was first to report that charges were expected Thursday.
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
Prosecutors have been subpoenaing documents and interviewing witnesses, including Trump insiders and company executives.
A grand jury to weigh evidence and New York Attorney General Letitia James said she was 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鈥檚 spokesperson did not immediately response to a request for comment, a longtime former senior adviser to the Republican, spun the looming charges as 鈥減olitically terrible for the Democrats.鈥�
鈥淭hey 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!鈥� Miller tweeted, apparently referring to Weisselberg, who is 73.
Trump had blasted the investigation in a statement Monday, deriding Vance鈥檚 office as 鈥渞ude, nasty, and totally biased鈥� in their treatment of Trump company lawyers, representatives, and long-term employees.
Trump, in the statement, said the company鈥檚 actions were 鈥渢hings that are standard practice throughout the U.S. business community, and in no way a crime鈥� and that Vance鈥檚 probe was an investigation was 鈥渋n search of a crime.鈥�
Trump, who鈥檚 been critical of President Joe Biden鈥檚 immigration policies, was to visit the U.S.-Mexico border.
Trump Organization lawyers in a last-ditch attempt to dissuade them from charging the company. Prosecutors gave the lawyers a Monday deadline to make the case that criminal charges shouldn鈥檛 be filed.
Ron Fischetti, a lawyer for the Trump Organization, was included in the first batch of charges.
鈥淭here is no indictment coming down this week against the former president,鈥� Fischetti said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 say he鈥檚 out of the woods yet completely.鈥�
Weisselberg, a loyal lieutenant to Trump and came under scrutiny, in part, because of questions about his son鈥檚 use of a Trump apartment at little or no cost.
Barry Weisselberg managed in Central Park.
Barry鈥檚 ex-wife, Jen Weisselberg, and turned over reams of tax records and other documents to investigators.
Allen Weisselberg has worked for the Trump Organization since 1973.
Prosecutors subpoenaed another long-time Trump finance executive, senior vice president and controller to testify in front of the grand jury in the spring. Under New York law, grand jury witnesses are granted immunity and can not be charged for conduct they testify about.
Prosecutors probing untaxed benefits to Trump executives have also been looking at a former Trump bodyguard turned chief operating officer, and his son, the company鈥檚 corporate director of security. However, a lawyer for the Calamaris said Wednesday that he didn鈥檛 expect them to be charged.
鈥淎lthough the D.A.鈥檚 investigation obviously is ongoing, I do not expect charges to be filed against either of my clients at this time,鈥� said the lawyer, Nicholas Gravante.
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Associated Press writers Jill Colvin in Weslaco, Texas, and Bernard Condon in New York contributed to this report.
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Michael R. Sisak, The Associated Press
