Manhattan prosecutors are investigating whether Trump's former bodyguard got tax-free perks as part of a Trump Org. plan to avoid paying taxes, report says

• Manhattan prosecutors are investigating if the Trump Organization gave employees tax-free perks.
• They're now examining Matthew Calamari, the organization's COO, the WSJ reported Monday.
• Prosecutors want to know if the Trump Org. broke the law by misrepresenting financial information for tax and other benefits.

Manhattan prosecutors are examining whether President Donald Trump's former bodyguard received tax-free perks from the Trump Organization, The Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Ballhaus and Corinne Ramey reported.

The examination of Matthew Calamari, who started working as Trump's bodyguard in 1981, is part of a larger probe into whether the Trump Organization illegally avoided paying taxes by gifting houses and cars to employees.

As part of the investigation, prosecutors are looking into whether Calamari, who now holds the title of chief operating officer at the organization, received such tax-free perks, The Journal reported Monday.

The newspaper did not specify what, if any, perks Calamari may have received, and said that he has not been accused of any wrongdoing. However, the paper noted that it can be a crime to receive perks from an employer and not pay tax on them.

Insider has contacted the Trump Organization for comment.

Prosecutors told Calamari and his son, Matthew Calamari Jr., that they should hire their own legal representation, The Journal reported. Calamari Jr also works at the Trump Organization and holds the title of corporate director of security.

The Journal also reported that both Calamaris live in apartment blocks run by the Trump Organization.

Calamari lives in an apartment at Trump Park Avenue and once drove a Mercedes leased via the Trump Organization, and Calamari Jr. lives in the Trump Parc East apartment block, The Journal said.

As part of their investigation, Manhattan prosecutors have also zoomed in on another senior Trump Organization figure, chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg.

Read more: The Manhattan DA's office picked up the pace of its investigation into Trump's finances once it hired a prosecutor who used to pursue mob bosses, a cooperating witness says

Prosecutors are investigating rent payments on Weisselberg's Manhattan apartment and payments made by Weisselberg for his grandchildren's tuition, CNN reported. Weisselberg has not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Jennifer Weisselberg, who was previously married to Allen Weisselberg's son Barry, is now a cooperating witness in investigations into Trump's finances.

"They want you to do crimes and not talk about it and don't leave," she previously told Insider's Jacob Shamsian. "It's so controlling."

The investigation is part of a larger criminal investigation, in conjunction with New York Attorney General Letitia James, into potential tax fraud by the Trump Organization.

Trump has called both investigations politically motivated.