{"id":579274,"date":"2021-07-01T19:20:14","date_gmt":"2021-07-01T23:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=579274"},"modified":"2021-07-01T19:20:16","modified_gmt":"2021-07-01T23:20:16","slug":"are-the-charges-brought-against-the-trump-organizations-cfo-part-of-a-witch-hunt-experts-weigh-in","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/are-the-charges-brought-against-the-trump-organizations-cfo-part-of-a-witch-hunt-experts-weigh-in\/","title":{"rendered":"Are The Charges Brought Against The Trump Organization\u2019s CFO Part Of A Witch Hunt? Experts Weigh In"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fare-the-charges-brought-against-the-trump-organizations-cfo-part-of-a-witch-hunt-experts-weigh-in%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=579274&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/GettyImages-1128135352-e1625157280937.jpg\" class=\"ff-og-image-inserted\" \/><\/div>\n<p>The Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges related to fraud and tax crimes, which former President Donald Trump has said is part of a political \u201cwitch hunt.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Weisselberg, who has worked for Trump since 1973, <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/07\/01\/allen-weisselberg-trump-org-cfo-arrested\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">surrendered<\/a> himself to the Manhattan district attorney\u2019s office early Thursday morning after a grand jury in Manhattan filed the indictments against him Wednesday. The Trump Organization and Weisselberg, who was brought into the court room in handcuffs, are accused of perpetrating a 15-year tax scheme, committing 15 felonies in the process, including scheme to defraud, conspiracy, grand larceny and falsifying business records, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/politics\/live-news\/trump-organization-charges-07-01-21\/index.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">CNN<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Weisselberg, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/07\/01\/manhattan-vance-trump-organization-prosecution-refused-weinstein-epstein\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">prosecutors<\/a>, failed to pay taxes on $1.7 million of income, most of which has reportedly been from fringe benefits, CNN reported. Prior to the arraignment Thursday, Weisselberg\u2019s attorneys, Mary Mulligan and Bryan Skarlatos, claimed Weisselberg will plead not guilty and \u201cwill fight these charges in court.\u201d<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"6.2821782178218\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">NOW: Here is the unsealed indictment against the Trump Organization and CFO Allen Weisselberg. More to come. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/utM7V6hV82\">https:\/\/t.co\/utM7V6hV82<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/7mezw9taJP\">pic.twitter.com\/7mezw9taJP<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Zoe Tillman (@ZoeTillman) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ZoeTillman\/status\/1410669184342704131?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>After the charges were announced, Attorneys said bringing criminal charges for fringe benefits is very unusual, even \u201cunprecedented.\u201d Attorneys and tax experts concurred with Weisselberg\u2019s attorneys that it is atypical for criminal charges to be filed over fringe benefits.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPolitics has no role in the grand jury chamber, and I can assure your honor that it played no role here,\u201d the assistant district attorney said. \u201cThe charges were considered by an impartial grand jury, and we look forward to this court\u2019s review of the grand jury minutes, which will confirm that impartiality,\u201d Assistant Manhattan District Attorney Carey Dunne <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/trump-org-cfo-plead-not-guilty-to-tax-charges\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">said<\/a>, according to Fox News.<\/p>\n<p>The Daily Caller reached out to attorneys and tax experts and asked if this investigation is politically motivated.<\/p>\n<p>Lynne Fuentes, a CPA and NYS Society of CPAs President -Elect, told the Caller that \u201cTo bring criminal charges up only related to fringe benefits is rare. It is usually combined with other criminal allegations made against a person or corporation.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnyone with any measurable experience in this area of the law would accurately tell you that it is extraordinarily rare to bring criminal charges solely related to fringe benefits and doing so here speaks very poorly of the district attorney\u2019s office,\u201d attorney David Schoen, who represented Trump in his second impeachment trial, told the Caller.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s virtually unheard of for state prosecutors to charge a company over taxation of fringe benefits \u2013 particularly where, as here, the IRS has not pursued the matter as far as we know,\u201d attorney Harmeet Dhillon told the Caller.<\/p>\n<p>The indictment against Weisselberg and the Trump Organization is the culmination of a sweeping investigation that has gone on for more than two years, beginning with alleged hush-money payments made by former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen on former President Donald Trump\u2019s behalf.<\/p>\n<p>The investigation, headed up by District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. and aided by personnel from New York Attorney General Letitia James\u2019 office \u2014 who campaigned on prosecuting Trump \u2014 even made its way up to the Supreme Court over the release of President Donald Trump\u2019s tax returns. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/dailycaller.com\/2021\/07\/01\/manhattan-vance-trump-organization-prosecution-refused-weinstein-epstein\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">(RELATED: Lawyer At Center Of Trump Prosecution Previously Criticized For Refusal To Go After Weinstein, Epstein)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe origination of the investigation was not fringe benefits, rather it was Trump\u2019s former attorney Michael Cohen\u2019s admission of receiving reimbursements for the payoff to Stormy Daniels and other information that he brought to congress and prosecutors, that led them to bring charges,\u201d Fuentes told the Caller via email. \u201cOne would conclude that the non-reporting of fringe benefits in this case would need to have been egregious enough in nature to show an intentional disregard for the rules creating at a minimum \u2018negligent\u2019 understatement of taxes but more likely, willful tax evasion.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Trump Organization said the charges against Weisselberg are part of&nbsp; \u201ca scorched earth attempt to harm the former President.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe District Attorney is bringing a criminal prosecution involving employee benefits that neither the IRS nor any other District Attorney would ever think of bringing. This is not justice; this is politics,\u201d the Trump Organization\u2019s statement read.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI firmly believe the investigation and the charging decision were \u2018deeply political\u2019 and that that is the only fair conclusion one can draw,\u201d Schoen said. \u201cRemember, this \u2018investigation\u2019 was joined by an Attorney General who has made clear her partisan view of the role she has to play and she vowed long ago to go after Trump related matters. That kind of abuse of the AG\u2019s role with a political agenda demeans the very integrity of the system.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt appears this entire prosecution is ginned up from the gossip of vengeful former associates and the intent of Cyrus Vance and Letitia James to abuse the public trust and use their offices for partisan political purposes,\u201d Dhillon told the Caller. \u201cCompare this to the total LACK of prosecution of Biden family members for the types of violations that are regularly prosecuted in America (firearms offenses, shady financial dealings with foreign politicians, corporations, etc.)\u2026 This is the type of banana republican stuff third world countries do to their former leaders. This never has happened in America and it brings down public perception of the integrity of the judicial system,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" readability=\"8.638418079096\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">(Thread 1\/4): With <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Varneyco?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@Varneyco<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/FoxBusiness?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@FoxBusiness<\/a> \u2013 This political hit job against <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/POTUS45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@POTUS45<\/a> is the kind of third world nonsense we see in countries like <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Pakistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Pakistan<\/a> where former presidents are taken down using petty offenses. Well beneath the dignity of New York prosecutorial offices. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/4hUfyEhaeQ\">pic.twitter.com\/4hUfyEhaeQ<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Harmeet K. Dhillon (@pnjaban) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/pnjaban\/status\/1410659272334008321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">July 1, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Schoen and Dhillon both think this is an ongoing effort for New York prosecutors to get to Trump himself, although Trump\u2019s lawyer Ronald Fischetti said the former president is not expected to face charges in these recent matters. \u201cMr. Weisselberg was charged criminally in an effort to pressure him to say and do what the prosecutors want him to say and do vis a vis former President Trump, his family, and the Trump organization,\u201d Schoen stated.<\/p>\n<p>Dhillon said that it is \u201cthe only reason they would go after a 48-year loyal retainer of the family.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fuentes does not seem as convinced that the prosecution efforts amount to a witch hunt. \u201cWhile this is a Trump organization receiving a lot of press to say this is just deeply political,\u2026 Prosecutors have a history of announcing when criminal charges are being brought against famous people, i.e. Leona Helmsley, Wesley Snipes, Pete Rose, Al Capone etc. as an example to warn others of their consequence of their actions could be.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges related to fraud and tax crimes, which former President Donald Trump has said is &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2313884,"comment_status":"close","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/GettyImages-1128135352-e1625157280937.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"Are The Charges Brought Against The Trump Organization\u2019s CFO Part Of A Witch Hunt? 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