The indictment of the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer grew out of an investigation into a seemingly unrelated matter: the now-infamous $130,000 payment to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels.
The Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into a hush-money payment to former President Donald Trump’s alleged mistress has since transformed into a sweeping probe into the business practices of the Trump Organization, including whether it engaged in bank, insurance and tax fraud.
This week, an investigation that had been stalled multiple times over three years finally reached a courtroom with the indictment of the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, on tax-related charges. The district attorney’s office, which is working with the New York attorney general’s office, accused the company and its CFO of carrying out a 15-year scheme to avoid taxes by using Manhattan apartments, luxury cars and private-school tuition as off-the-books compensation.
The Trump Organization and Mr. Weisselberg have pleaded not guilty, with their lawyers saying they will fight the charges.
The charges run far afield of the probe’s original focus—the Trump Organization’s handling of the payment to Ms. Daniels, which was intended to silence her about her allegations of a sexual encounter with Mr. Trump. Former prosecutors said Thursday’s charges could become a steppingstone to filing broader charges against Mr. Trump himself, if Mr. Weisselberg were to seek leniency in return for testifying against his longtime boss.
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