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U.S. NEWS Diabierna 2 Juli 2021

Trump Organization, CFO indicted on tax fraud charges

(AP) — Donald Trump’s compa- Weisselberg’s lawyers, Mary Mulligan
ny and its longtime finance chief and Bryan Skarlatos, said in a state-
were charged Thursday in what ment before his appearance that the
a prosecutor called a “sweeping executive would “fight these charges
and audacious” tax fraud scheme in court.” Skarlatos later said Dunne’s
that saw the Trump executive al- remarks were misleading in regard to
legedly receive more than $1.7 his client.
million in off-the-books compen-
sation, including apartment rent, Weisselberg was ordered to surrender
car payments and school tuition. his passport after prosecutors called
him a flight risk with access to pri-
It is the first criminal case New York vate jets for foreign travel. He was re-
authorities’ two-year investigation leased without bail, however, and left
into the former president has yield- the courthouse without commenting
ed. According to the indictment filed to assembled reporters.
Wednesday and unveiled Thursday,
from 2005 through this year, CFO A lieutenant to generations of
Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Or- Trumps, Weisselberg has intimate
ganization cheated the state and city knowledge of the former president’s
out of taxes by conspiring to pay se- business dealings and the case could
nior executives off the books. give prosecutors the means to pres-
sure him into cooperating with an “rude, nasty, and totally biased” and nal investigation” into Trump’s com-
Both Weisselberg and lawyers for ongoing probe into other aspects of said his company’s actions were pany and its CFO.
the Trump Organization pleaded not the company’s business. “standard practice throughout the
guilty. U.S. business community, and in no Vance, who leaves office at the end of
So far, though, there’s no sign that way a crime.” the year, has been conducting a wide-
Prosecutor Carey Dunne described a the man regarded by Trump’s daugh- ranging investigation into a variety
15-year scheme “orchestrated by the ter Ivanka as a “fiercely loyal” deputy He issued a press release after the not of matters involving Trump and the
most senior executives.” who’s “stood alongside my father and guilty pleas, once again excoriating Trump Organization, such as hush-
our family” for decades will suddenly the probe as a “political Witch Hunt.” money payments paid to women on
Trump himself was not charged at turn on them. Trump’s behalf and truthfulness in
this stage of the investigation, jointly Dunne asserted politics played no property valuations and tax assess-
pursued by Manhattan District At- In a Thursday statement before the role in the decision to bring charges. ments, among other matters.
torney Cyrus Vance Jr. and New York charges were unveiled, the Trump
Attorney General Letitia James, both Organization defended Weisselberg, In court, Trump Organization lawyer Vance fought a long battle to get
Democrats. saying the 48-year employee was be- Alan Futerfas said Dunne’s remarks Trump’s tax records and has been
ing used by Vance’s office as “a pawn sounded like a “press release.” subpoenaing documents and inter-
Weiiselberg, 73, was photographed in a scorched-earth attempt to harm viewing company executives and
walking into a building that houses the former president.” Vance declined to comment on the other Trump insiders.
both the criminal courts and the case as he arrived at the courthouse
Manhattan district attorney’s office Trump, a Republican, did not re- Thursday. He remained silent as he James assigned two lawyers from her
around 6:20 a.m. Thursday. He was spond to reporters’ shouted questions and James departed in the afternoon. office to work with Vance’s team on
led into court in the afternoon with about the case as he visited Texas on James’ office later released a state- the criminal probe while continuing
his hands cuffed behind his back. Wednesday. Earlier in the week, he ment calling the indictment “an im- her own civil investigation.
blasted New York prosecutors as portant marker in the ongoing crimi-

California firefighters battle big wildfires in high heat

(AP) — Hundreds of fire- was shrouded in a haze of corded history. homes around Shasta Lake was ignited by lightning last
fighters worked Thursday smoke plumes so huge they An extraordinary Pacific north of the city of Redding, week.
in high heat to beat back could easily be seen in im- Northwest heat wave that ex- more than 200 miles (322
wildfires in the forests of ages from weather satellites tended into the upper reaches kilometers) north of San To the northeast, a fire that
far Northern California, in space. of California was slowly re- Francisco. The huge lake is broke out Monday in the
where the flames have The scene was ominously ceding, but it was only ex- popular with vacationers, but Klamath National Forest and
forced many communities reminiscent of last year's Cal- pected to cool off slightly be- its water level is dramatically forced evacuations has grown
to evacuate. ifornia wildfire season, which fore temperatures trend back low because of the drought. to about 15 square miles
scorched more than 6,562 up heading into the Fourth (38 square kilometers). The
Mount Shasta, the volcano square miles (17,000 square of July weekend, forecasters Evacuation orders were in fire was expected to advance
that towers over the region, kilometers), the most in re- said. place for some areas, but north toward Oregon, and its
"It is very hot and dry," said there was no immediate in- cause was being investigated.
Suzi Johnson, a Shasta-Trinity formation on how many peo- Fire authorities throughout
National Forest spokeswom- ple were forced to flee. California stepped up cam-
an for the Salt Fire, which paigns urging people not to
broke out Wednesday and To the north, the Lava Fire use fireworks to celebrate the
quickly grew to more than 4 burning partly on the flanks Fourth of July, citing both
square miles (10 square kilo- of Mount Shasta grew to the explosive dangers and
meters), temporarily shutting nearly 31 square miles (80 the threat of wildfires in the
down Interstate 5. square kilometers) and was withering conditions.
partially contained. Evacua-
California and the rest of the tion orders for communities "The fuels are bone dry," Los
U.S. West is mired in a his- near the city of Weed were Angeles County Fire Chief
toric drought tied to climate still in effect. Daryl Osby said at a news
change, which also is con- conference. "We are extreme-
tributing to worsening wild- The steep, rocky terrain chal- ly concerned about the use of
fire seasons and heat waves. lenged nearly 1,300 firefight- fireworks of all kinds."
The fire was a threat to ers battling the blaze, which