New details: Trump Organization indicted, CFO in custody

Allen Weisselberg, the Chief Financial Officer for the Trump Organization, surrendered to authorities early Thursday morning, as part of an indictment of the CFO and the organization

Weisselberg is expected to be arraigned Thursday afternoon. The charges against him and the organization are still sealed as of early Thursday morning. They are expected to be unveiled ahead of the arraignment.

The charges are part of a two-year investigation into Trump’s business practices.

Prosecutors accuse the organization and Weisselberg of tax crimes related to fringe benefits for employees. This includes apartments, cars, and schools tuition. Weisselberg had come under scrutiny because of questions about his son’s use of a Trump apartment at little or no cost.

The Trump Organization issued a statement defending Weisselberg after his surrender. The organization said Weisselberg is being used by the Manhattan district attorney’s office as “a pawn in a scorched-earth attempt to harm the former president.” The organization said neither the IRS nor any other district attorney would ever think of bringing such charges over employee benefits.

“This is not justice; this is politics,” the company said.

In a statement, Weisselberg lawyers Mary Mulligan and Bryan Skarlatos said he “intends to plead not guilty and he will fight these charges in court.”

The case against Weisselberg could allow prosecutors to pressure him into cooperating and telling them what he knows about Trump’s business dealings.

Early indications say it does not appear former President Donald Trump will be personally charged. Despite this, the former president railed on the prosecutors in this case earlier this week.

Trump called Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and New York Attorney General Letitia James “rude, nasty, and totally biased”. Former President Trump went on to say the organization’s actions were “standard practice throughout the U.S. business community, and in no way a crime.”

President Trump did not respond to reporters’ shouted questions about the indictment when he visited the border on Wednesday.