For decades, Allen Weisselberg was Donald Trump’s “eyes and ears…from an economic standpoint.”
Now the pressure on Weisselberg to turn on his former boss is growing; the longtime Chief Financial Officer of the the Trump Organization is the subject of two investigations, including a recently revealed probe into potential tax impropriety.
The New York Times reports that The New York attorney general’s office – led by Letitia James – “have examined whether taxes were paid on fringe benefits that Mr. Trump gave him, including cars and tens of thousands of dollars in private school tuition for at least one of Mr. Weisselberg’s grandchildren.”
Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance Jr. is also investigating Weisselberg. CNN reports, “prosecutors in the district attorney’s office are digging into his role at the Trump Organization, his personal finances, and benefits given to his son Barry, a long-time employee of the Trump Organization.”
CNN adds, “Prosecutors are seeking to find leverage that could sway Weisselberg into cooperating with authorities … It’s a common tactic used by prosecutors to try to get individuals to “flip” to help build a case higher up the corporate ladder. Vance’s office is coordinating with James’ office on its criminal investigation into Weisselberg.”
Vance’s and James’ teams are reportedly working with one another. “We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan D.A,” the NY Attorney General’s Office announced on Tuesday.
Weisselberg has not been accused of wrongdoing. His former daughter-in-law, Jennifer Weisselberg, has been cooperating with authorities and has reportedly answered questions about benefits the family received from the Trump Organization, including tuition payments for her children. Employees must pay taxes on fringe benefits.
