The Trump Organization pleaded not guilty on Thursday to charges of fraud and tax crimes in connection with a "15-year-long scheme to compensate a top executive off the books," The New York Times and The Associated Press report. That executive, longtime CFO Allen Weisselberg, was hit with grand larceny, tax fraud, and other charges for allegedly avoiding taxes on approximately $1.7 million in "indirect" compensation, receiving tax refunds to which he wasn't entitled, and falsifying tax records, Buzzfeed News reports.
Charges were revealed at a state Supreme Court arraignment in Manhattan. The executive allegedly evaded taxes on perks like rent, cars, and tuition for family members that were paid for by the Trump Organization but left unreported. Weisselberg pleaded not guilty, and his lawyers said he plans to "fight these charges in court," per the Times. The CFO surrendered to the D.A. Thursday morning.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Investigators have long been looking at Weisselberg and the Trump Organization for evidence of tax-related crimes, the Times writes. Former President Donald Trump was not personally charged in the indictment, but the district attorney's office signaled earlier on Thursday that the investigation remains "active" and "ongoing."
-
Heavenly spectacle in the wilds of CanadaThe Week Recommends ‘Mind-bending’ outpost for spotting animals – and the northern lights
-
Facial recognition: a revolution in policingTalking Point All 43 police forces in England and Wales are set to be granted access, with those against calling for increasing safeguards on the technology
-
Codeword: December 14, 2025The daily codeword puzzle from The Week
-
‘City leaders must recognize its residents as part of its lifeblood’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem might not be long for TrumplandIN THE SPOTLIGHT She has been one of the most visible and vocal architects of Trump’s anti-immigration efforts, even as her own star risks fading
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
-
Will there be peace before Christmas in Ukraine?Today's Big Question Discussions over the weekend could see a unified set of proposals from EU, UK and US to present to Moscow
-
‘The menu’s other highlights smack of the surreal’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Democrat files to impeach RFK Jr.Speed Read Rep. Haley Stevens filed articles of impeachment against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
