Donald Trump has long evaded the consequences of his questionable business ethics and personal and political scandals. But the grand jury indictments returned against his company and a top executive will test the ex-President’s charmed life as never before.
The charges, expected to be unsealed Thursday, are related to alleged tax crimes over perks and benefits awarded to employees, including rent-free homes, car leases and bonuses, people familiar with the matter told CNN.
The indictments target the Trump Organization and chief financial officer and Trump right-hand man Allen Weisselberg. Although the former President is not expected to be charged, according to his lawyer, the singling out of the firm on which he built his “art of the deal” legend is a personal blow already provoking his ire.
The charges are the first to emerge from a probe of Trump and his businesses by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance that has been going on for more than two years. It has looked at issues including whether Trump inflated the value of his assets and properties for insurance purposes but undervalued them when calculating his tax liabilities.
