So far Cyrus Vance has conducted his investigation flawlessly. He has set up the next step and then he has meticulously delivered. A few days ago one of the Trump Organization’s lawyers was telling Politico that he was surprised at how little the D.A.’s office had on the Trump Organization. Today the same guy, Ronald Fischetti, is registering amazement that Vance is going to “target a company over employee compensation or fringe benefits.”
“The IRS would not, and has not, brought a case like this,” the lawyer said. “Even the financial institutions responsible for causing the 2008 financial crises, the worst financial crisis since the great depression, were not prosecuted.”
Fischetti may be amazed, but that’s where Vance is going, reportedly by 2:00 p.m. today.
“It’s crazy that that’s all they had,” Fischetti said.
“It’s like the Shakespeare play ‘Much Ado About Nothing,'” he added. “This is so small that I can’t believe I’m going to have to try a case like this.”
It is common for defense lawyers to make bold pronouncements undercutting a prosecutor’s allegations. But Fischetti’s remarks suggest that the Trump Organization is poised to have its day in court, rather than plead guilty to any charges.
Fischetti indicated that Vance’s team did not plan to bring charges related to the valuation of Trump Organization properties or hush-money payments to women who alleged they had affairs with Trump.
It is unclear whether Weisselberg or the Trump Organization would be indicted first — or whether they’d face charges at the same time.
Regardless, an indictment would raise the heat on Trump and bring a criminal prosecution to his doorstep.
BREAKING: Manhattan DA’s Office expected to charge the Trump Organization with tax-related crimes on Thursday, 2 representatives of the company tell @NBCNews. pic.twitter.com/9jE9qVJbF0
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) June 30, 2021
As you heard, loans may be called in by banking institutions when the criminal proceedings begin. Trump’s lawyers can huff and puff all that they want to about what a nothing burger this is, but it’s not that at all and they know it.
But speaking of nothing burgers, Trump is going down to the southern border to do a photo op with Greg Abbott.
I wonder if RICO charges are going to be part of this action later today? Or if the reporters in Texas will ask Trump that?
June is going out with a bang and July is definitely the month for fireworks.
As others have noted, this is about cutting off the cash flow. Kill the Trump Org–which this absolutely will–you kill off any assets the Mango Mussolini may have had to drag this process out. Once that’s done, expect the first minions to get charged.
“When the indictments are knee high in July”, I think the old saying goes.
Years of untaxed benefits add up to a chunk of money – and who knows what else they’ve found?
Fischetti is not wrong. Vance better have a lot more. A lot of legal analysts believe he does and Fischetti is just trying to get ahead of the narrative.
Fischetti is trying to keep his job, nothing more.
This is classic prosecution foreplay from DA Vance. He’ll charge Weisselberg and Trump.org and, I expect, one or more of Wesselberg’s children. These charges are designed to put Weisselberg and his sons behind bars. Incarceration – especially when it includes family members – often has a very salutary effect on uncooperative witnesses and can result in a complete turnaround. These charges are aimed at flipping Weisselberg in order to get to Trump.
Incidentally, Michael Cohen, who knows the Trump CFO well, believes this tactic will work on Weisselberg.
I can’t imagine a man of his age (Weisselberg) will tolerate prison very well. I suspect his arrogance has supported him so far.
I believe that this is just the beginning of the legal actions against the range Monster and its cronies and minions. After all, the DA had to start somewhere.
And this couldn’t be happening to a worse bunch of people! I hope they succeed and lock them all up and destroy that orange dic tator’s businesses so he can do no more harm to this country, to his creditors, to anyone.