Donald Trump lashed out at the New York prosecutors, who filed criminal charges against the former US president’s company and its long-time chief financial officer, and alleged them of being politically motivated.

Following the indictment of Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg in a New York court, Trump said in a statement, “The political Witch Hunt by the Radical Left Democrats, with New York now taking over the assignment, continues.”

“It is dividing our Country like never before!” he added.

Although Trump himself nor any members of his family have been charged, the prosecutors charged the Trump Organization, Trump Payroll Corporation and its Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg with 15 felony counts in connection with an alleged tax scheme stretching back to 2005.

The extraordinary legal development might tarnish the image of the Republican, who has suggested he could run for the presidency again in 2024.

Meanwhile, prosecutors in court said the counts include a scheme to defraud, conspiracy, criminal tax fraud, offering a false instrument for filing and falsifying business records.

Weisselberg is accused of evading taxes on $1.7 million of income over 15 years, according to the indictment.

But Weisselberg, Trump Organization and Trump Payroll Corporation pleaded not guilty to the charges on Thursday.

In a statement Thursday, the Trump Organization said prosecutors were using Weisselberg as “a pawn in a scorched earth attempt to harm the former president.”

“The district attorney is bringing a criminal prosecution involving employee benefits that neither the IRS nor any other district attorney would ever think of bringing,” a spokesperson for the company said.

“This is not justice. This is politics,” they added in the statement carried by US media.

The Trump Organization is an unlisted family holding company that owns golf clubs, hotels and luxury properties.

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Trump handed over the reins of the business to his two eldest sons and to Weisselberg when he went to the White House in early 2017.

New York prosecutors have been trying to get Weisselberg to cooperate with their broad investigations into the Trump Organization’s finances.

The indictment would increase the pressure on him to cooperate.