By Bill Galluccio
Photo: Getty Images
Allen Weisselberg. The 25-page indictment accuses the company of a multi-year tax evasion scheme that dates back to 2005.
Prosecutors accused Weisselberg and other senior executives of evading taxes by paying employees "off the books" and providing them with benefits they never reported to the tax authorities.
Some of those payments included Weisselberg's rent, utilities, and garage expenses. They also included $359,058 in tuition payments to Columbia Grammar school for Weisselberg's grandchildren. Those checks were signed by former President
Donald Trump and the Donald J. Trump revocable trust.
The company did not withhold taxes on the payments and reduced Weisselberg's salary by the same amount, allowing him to pay less money in taxes. While Weisselberg reported his base salary when paying his taxes, he did not report the extra benefits he received. Prosecutors said that those payments totaled $1.7 million between 2005 and 2017.