Allen Weisselberg's 'off the books' benefits revealed: HOW prosecutors claim Trump CFO dodged taxes on $1.7m of income and company perks including rent, school tuition for grandkids and his Mercedes' lease
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr's sweeping indictment of Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg reveals the perks that the executive is accused of failing to report to tax authorities.
The 15-count indictment unveiled on Thursday charged Weisselberg, who has worked for Donald Trump for 48 years, with tax fraud, falsifying business records, and grand larceny.
Most of the charges stem from an alleged $1.76 million in 'off the books' benefits which the indictment claims Weisselberg received since 2005, including rent for a Manhattan apartment, lease payments for two Mercedes-Benz vehicles and private school tuition for family members, with Trump signing some tuition checks himself, the suit says.
Prosecutors said it was a scheme that allowed Weisselberg to evade some $900,000 in taxes and recoup roughly $130,000 in undeserved tax refunds.
Weisselberg, who was paraded into court handcuffed by Vance's investigators, has pleaded not guilty, and Trump issued a statement calling the charges a 'political Witch Hunt by the Radical Left Democrats'.
Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg leaves court after pleading not guilty. Weisselberg surrendered this morning to the Manhattan district attorney's office
Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr (above) accuses Weisselberg of failing to report lavish perks he received in lieu of income
The indictment also charged the Trump Organization with conspiring with Weisselberg in the alleged scheme, but did not name other individuals accused of wrongdoing.
Vance's investigation, which had now gone on for more than three years, is ongoing, and in recent months he has teamed up with New York Attorney General Letitia James. Both are Democrats.
The various schemes alleged in the indictment include:
- $1,174,018 in untaxed income used to pay Weisselberg's rent
- $359,058 in unreported compensation for private school fees
- $196,245 in untaxed income for Mercedes Benz leases
- $29,400 in under-the-table cash used to pay holiday tips
No comments: