Criminal Probe Of Trump Org CFO Has Been Ongoing For Months

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

Allen Weisselberg, trusted chief financial officer for the Trump Organization, is reportedly at the center of a criminal investigation launched by the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James.

Details about the ongoing investigation were initially reported by CNN. The New York Timesalso released a similar report that confirmed details about the investigation. Back in January, James' office reportedly sent a letter to the Trump Organization to notify it of the criminal investigation into Weisselberg.

Individuals with knowledge of the investigation have noted that James' office seeks to determine "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," according to The New York Times.

The publication also notes that the focus on Weisselberg's perks also "overlaps with the Manhattan district attorney's long-running criminal fraud investigation of Mr. Trump and his family business."

The investigation launched by James' office intensifies the mounting pressure against Weisselberg as Manhattan district attorney Cy Vance's office also has the officer on its radar. Vance's office has been working to gain Weisselberg's cooperation as the criminal investigation into Trump and his businesses continues.

Now, the Times reports that the two offices are actually working together:

Rather than risk bumping into each other, the two investigative offices recently began collaborating, another person with knowledge of the matter said. Two assistant attorneys general from Ms. James's office have joined the district attorney's team, which has been seeking to turn Mr. Weisselberg into a cooperating witness against Mr. Trump and the Trump Organization, people with knowledge of that effort said.

The latest report comes just days after the attorney general's office also released a statement about the collaborative effort between both law enforcement agencies."We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan D.A."