The company of former President Donald Trump was found guilty by a jury in Manhattan of engaging in a criminal tax fraud scheme for a significant portion of his presidency.
This is the first time that Trump's company has been accused, tried, and found guilty of a crime, despite the fact that the company has been the subject of numerous criminal investigations.
Trump's claim that he was an aggressive and successful businessman was a big part of what helped him build his political brand.
On 17 counts of criminal tax fraud and falsifying business records, the jury found two Trump-controlled entities guilty. The maximum amount of the fine is $16 lakes.
"This was a case about lying and cheating, misleading records to the guide of dodging charges to help people and the company," Manhattan lead prosecutor Alvin Bragg expressed, talking with correspondents after the decision was conveyed.
The Trump Organization criticized the verdict and promised to appeal, arguing that the company's executives should bear responsibility rather than the company itself.
The statement continued, "The idea that a company could be held accountable for an employee's actions to benefit themselves on their own personal tax returns is simply absurd."
The Trump corporation's attorney also tried to distance the former president from the outcome.
Susan N-E C H-E L-E S made the following statement: "Every witness repeatedly testified that President Trump and the Trump family knew nothing about Allen Weisselberg's actions."
Allen Weisselberg, Trump's former long-time chief financial officer, had previously agreed to a guilty plea last summer. He was the most important witness for the prosecution in the case.
However, the indictment against Weisselberg's co-defendants, two Trump business entities, remained active.
Prosecutors argued that the case was about "greed and cheating" during their opening arguments on Halloween in the trial of the Trump Corporation, which includes the majority of Trump's business empire, and the Trump Payroll Corporation, which processes employee payments
In a nutshell, the assistant district attorney stated that Trump authorized tax fraud. In her opening statement, Trump Corporation attorney Susan advised the jurors that the trial is not a referendum on Trump and urged them to maintain an open mind.
While the former president's name was mentioned frequently, both sides emphasized that Trump was not a defendant.
Documents bearing Trump's signature were some of the evidence presented to the jury that caught their attention the most: a rental agreement for a posh apartment that Weisselberg used, and a check for a grandchild's private school tuition. Weisselberg acknowledged that the law required him to declare these benefits as income.
Assistant district attorney Joshua Steinglass summed up by saying that Trump authorized tax fraud and pointing the finger rhetorically at him. The judge upheld the defense's strong objection, which was raised by the defense.
Outside the courtroom, Trump declared that he was running for president during the trial and frequently criticized Manhattan District Attorney Bragg on social media.
In the past, Weisselberg entered a guilty plea to 15 felony tax charges. He admitted concealing the portion of his salary that was paid for through tax-free benefits like a luxury apartment, Mercedes-Benz leases for him and his wife, and tuition for his grandchildren's private schools.
The compensation was never disclosed to the IRS or New York State.
As a feature of his supplication bargain, Weisselberg consented to affirm honestly and to serve five months in prison.
W-E-I S-E L B-E R G acknowledged that despite being placed on leave, he still receives a salary of $640,000 from the Trump Organization and that he hopes to receive an end-of-year bonus during his testimony, which detailed the specifics of his criminal tax fraud.
This trial was about whether W-E-I S-E L B-E R G and another top executive, Trump Organization comptroller Jeffrey M C, acted "in behalf of" the corporate entities when they paid for apartments and luxury benefits that were not reported to the tax authorities for W-E-I S-E L B-E R G and other top executives
This trial took place at a time when Trump's business and himself were in serious legal danger. In her lawsuit, Letitia James, the New York Attorney General, claims that Trump manipulated the value of his real estate holdings. James: "No individual or group is above our laws." A judge ordered Trump's company to be watched by an outsider
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