I’ve been longing for a Hot Indictment Summer and live coverage of all of the members of the Trump Crime Syndicate to be frog-marched past a bank of cameras. But it’s going to take a little bit longer to get actual members of the Trump family in handcuffs. For now, we have to settle for Allen Weisselberg, the CFO of Trump Org (the man behind Donald Trump and Junior in the above photo). Weisselberg has been with Trump for decades and he knows where a lot of the bodies are buried because he kept track of the real estate where the bodies were buried. What are the odds that Weisselberg has been arrested just so he can get a deal and turn on the Trump crime family?
Donald J. Trump’s long-serving chief financial officer, Allen H. Weisselberg, surrendered on Thursday to the Manhattan district attorney’s office as he and the Trump Organization prepared to face charges in connection with a tax investigation, people with knowledge of the matter said. The exact charges were not yet known. Prosecutors were expected to unseal an indictment later in the day against Mr. Weisselberg and the Trump Organization, the real estate business that catapulted Mr. Trump to tabloid fame, television riches and ultimately, the White House.
Mr. Weisselberg, accompanied by his lawyer, Mary E. Mulligan, walked into the Lower Manhattan building that houses the criminal courts and the district attorney’s office about 6:20 a.m. He is expected to appear in court in the afternoon along with representatives of the Trump Organization.
The charges against the Trump Organization and Mr. Weisselberg — whom Mr. Trump once praised for doing “whatever was necessary to protect the bottom line” — emerged from the district attorney’s sweeping inquiry into the business practices of Mr. Trump and his company. As part of that inquiry, the prosecutors in the office of the district attorney, Cyrus R. Vance Jr., had been examining whether Mr. Weisselberg failed to pay taxes on valuable benefits he and his family received from Mr. Trump, including private school tuition for at least one of his grandchildren, free apartments and leased cars.
Ms. Mulligan declined to comment on her client’s surrender. In a statement, the Trump Organization said Mr. Weisselberg was being used as a “pawn in a scorched-earth attempt to harm the former president.”
The NYT notes the timing – Trump has started doing his unhinged fascist rallies again, this week. Coincidence? Perhaps – I mean, we’ve known for months that Cy Vance was about to hand down some indictments, we just thought that people in the Trump family might get charged. But I’m happy that Weisselberg is facing charges. I hope he sings like a canary. Turn on everybody, Weisselberg! Get a deal, treat yourself!
Photos courtesy of Getty.
I’m done hoping that any Trump family member does jail time. I’m constantly disappointed.
They all get away with everything, like they’re teflon.
Same here. I’d love for justice to be done, but I’m not holding my breath. Especially after the news about Britney and Cosby today… the right thing almost never happens in this world, this country.
Oh he’s definitely going to sing like a canary.
That’s what I think (and HOPE!) is going to happen.
the charges against him – not paying taxes on fringe benefits – seem to be kind of mild. plead guilty to that and get off with fines and probation, and SING YOUR HEART OUT.
His former daughter in law said he’s in the bubble and won’t flip on the cult leader.
I hope so too because he knows where the bodies are buried. Hopefully is disgruntled at the Trump family about something so that encourages him to just spill the beans. Knowing that fu**ing guy and that family and some of the monsters in their circle, he’s probably had his life threatended.
I don’t think he’ll flip unless someone in his family is implicated and he needs to protect them
I’m really hoping and praying with fingers and toes crossed that this will lead to indictments and convictions. Ivanka is already facing perjury charges and hopefully this will also lead to her being held accountable for her crimes.
I thought it was trumps personal taxes that he fought so hard to keep secret that would produce indictments.
The trumps won’t every get punished. Ive lost all hope.
And to think, none of this would have happened if he didn’t steal a presidential election. All he had to do was sit there and continue to be Putin’s bitch.
Yup. As the memes all said yesterday (to Phylicia Rashad, but it applies here, too): all you had to do was sit there and eat your food. He just couldn’t help himself.
I’m glad that the Drumpf organization got indicted but as much as it pains me to say I don’t think old Allen is gonna be talking.
They’ve been after him for years apparently and it looks like there’s not enough independent info to get treason 45 by himself. I hope I’m proved wrong quickly.
Times are different. Casino has no money and no one will loan it to him.
It’s not just Weisselberg but the Trump Organization too. This is their asset, how they get their money, although it is heavily leveraged. If the state prevails, it will seize the foundation’s assets, any money it actually holds but the real estate holdings too because the organization has no money. Without those holdings, he can’t get any more loans and the loans he currently has will probably be called in, leaving him destitute. If Melania had a brain in her head, she would get out now for Barron’s sake.
I read that the banks may start calling in loans just on the indictment and the Trump Organization’s house of cards will start to fall. Fingers crossed.
I thought Deutsche Bank (and another one, that had his personal loans) called in on some loans last year, after his failed coup attempt?
I’m very pleased to see that the statement acknowledged him as the former president.
Yes, it pains me everytime, to hear him referred to as President Rump. And I’m not even American!
That’s always been the fashion though. They still call them Presidents Carter, Clinton, Bush and Obama. And the orange fascist, too.
My guess is he won’t flip. He’s not worried about jail time. Jail is only for Leona Helmsley and Martha Stewart.
He’ll be fine.
I know everyone despairs that the Trumps will never face justice, but I actually think they will. They’ll just be the last ones indicted, once everything has been lined up. I don’t know if Weisselberg will flip, but his sons are also very much at risk since they are also tied up in the Trump Org’s criminal finances. So prosecutors will be leaning heavily on him to cut a deal to possibly spare them. But even if he holds out, per Michael Cohen, the prosecutors have plenty of evidence to take Trump down without Weisselberg. And Cohen would know.
My guess is the prosecutors are angling for one of the Trump kids to flip so they can go after the rest of the family. Ivanka is the smartest & likeliest to realize this is the best option (unless Lara Trump convinces her husband to take a deal first).
As for the rallies, they keep Trump happy & allow them all to keep up the grift. They need that cash now more than ever.
Please don’t get your hopes up too much about Vance filing criminal charges against the Trump family. Vance has cut Trump deals before, he is compromised and I wouldn’t expect much to come from him.
My eye is on Letitia James’ civil suits.
He’s probably more scared of the Russian mafia (who they were money laundering for) than of jail, but this is not nothing! Hopefully the first of many indictments for this crew.
They’re going for the low hanging fruit first before they get to the rotten apple at the top.
Yes, and as the investigation digs deeper into the rabbit hole, they will find more evidence and as the number of people begin to line up, someone is going to jump up in and take a deal for themselves. There are many layers to an onion and we are at the beginning of peeling it away.
Yes, I fear he won’t flip, but he’s only 73. If they give him enough time in jail, maybe he would. But white collars get very little time (4 yes or less?) and try to get an ankle bracelet for doing the time in their home
That’s what Cohen did.
Phylicia Rashad’s comment, along with her cutesy signed apology, are pure bs. She can kiss my a**. #FirePhylicia #FireDeanRashad
oops. wrong post. sorry
I fear the whole thing will go the way of the Mueller fiasco. It would make my heart sing for any of those jackals to see jail cells but am wary after the crushing disappointment of the so-called Special Prosecutor! Rudy is in trouble though. His hands are in every pie. I am ashamed to say I worked for his office as a poor law student. He was a greedy moron!