On Friday (August 12), a judge ruled that the case brought against the Trump Organization and its former Chief Financial Officer by Manhattan’s District Attorney can go ahead.
Prosecutors allege that Allen Weisselberg, the company’s former CFO, avoided paying nearly $2 million in taxes by receiving compensation indirectly from the company. They also allege that Weisselberg participated in a scheme to enrich himself and other executives at the company without reporting these financial gains.
New York prosecutors have also alleged that despite keeping track of the indirect compensation, the Trump Organization never reported it to the federal government.
Earlier in the year, Weisselberg and Trump organization lawyers asked that the charges of fraud and conspiracy be dropped, arguing they were politically motivated. Acting Justice Juan Merchan dropped one count against the Trump Organization on statute of limitations grounds but allowed the rest to continue.
In his ruling at a Lower Court in Manhattan, Judge Merchan noted that evidence president before the grand jury “was legally sufficient to support the charges in the indictment.”
Neither Weisselberg nor the Trump Organization has commented on the matter; however, both parties have pleaded not guilty to the charges, with jury selection set to start on October 24.
Former President Donald Trump has been embroiled in several legal matters relating to his businesses and his time as President, with the latest revolving around a search warrant executed by the FBI on his Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.
On Thursday, the Washington Post reported that the officials were searching for classified documents related to nuclear weapons, citing unnamed sources.
Judge Screws Over Trump Organization
