Don Jr. Calls Charges Against Trump Org ‘A Disgrace,’ Says, ‘This Is Banana Republic Stuff’

Donald Trump Jr. expressed outrage on FOX News Primetime Thursday night at the charges brought against the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, both of which pleaded not guilty. The Trump family business faces fraud and tax crimes as part of an alleged arrangement whereby Weisselberg received $1.7 million in off-the-books perks over a 15 year period.

Fox host Jesse Watters noted that the Manhattan District Attorney’s office didn’t bring criminal charges against Manhattan based companies and bankers who helped bring about the 2008 financial crisis. An attorney for the Trump Organization made a similar point earlier in the day at a press conference.

“Not one banker was charged [with] anything, all right?,” said Watters. “Now they’re trying to lock up an executive for not properly writing off a company car. So they are alleging $100,000 a year in perks over 15 years. This is a two billion-dollar company – the Trump Organization – so we’re talking about pennies on the dollar, okay? Pennies on the dollar.”

The younger Trump, who is executive vice president at the Trump Organization, expressed exasperation at the charges.

“They’re saying $1.7 million over 15 years,” said Trump of the unreported perks Weisselberg allegedly received. “But it’s not $1.7 million. That’s income. The taxable portion of that to New York state is eight percent. That’s $136,000 over 16 years. That’s ten grand a year. Half of that – because my father is a good guy – he paid for this guy’s grandchildren’s education. Our tax experts say that’s not even taxable.”

Trump called the charges “a farce.”

“It’s a disgrace that they spent millions of dollars and years,” he said, “instead of prosecuting actual murderous thugs on the streets of New York, they go after their political enemies. And if we’re gonna pretend for one second this is anything other than a witch hunt that they can get away with, because where do you go, Jesse? To another leftist judge in New York who says, ‘You know what? I don’t care. Go after your political enemies.’ This is going on in America right now. This banana republic stuff.”

Watch above via Fox News.