Trump Organization Criminal Tax Fraud Trial Heads to Closing Argument – National

Closing arguments to a jury by prosecutors and defense attorneys are set to begin Thursday in the criminal tax fraud trial of former President Donald Trump’s real estate firm accused of carrying out a 15-year scheme to deceive tax officials.

Defense attorneys stayed the case Monday in New York state court in Manhattan after only summoning two witnesses.

Prosecutors have accused the company, which operates hotels, golf courses and other properties around the world, of paying the personal expenses of some executives without reporting their income, acting as if they were independent contractors. He was accused of compensating him.

The company, which has pleaded not guilty, could be fined up to $1.6 million if found guilty on all nine counts it faces. Trump, who announced, has not been charged in the case.

Attorneys representing the two branches of the Trump Organization charged in the case are scheduled to give closing arguments before a 12-member jury, followed by prosecutors starting in the afternoon and ending on Friday. It’s a schedule. A jury is scheduled to begin hearings on Monday after receiving instructions on the law from the judge presiding over the case, Judge Juan Merchan. The trial began in October.

The Trump Organization has sought to shift the blame to Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty to tax evasion and other charges, and claims that outside accountant Donald Bender should have filed a whistleblower complaint against Weisselberg.

trendy now

• Florida woman sues Kraft for $5 million over Velveeta pasta prep time

• Country singer Jake Flint, 37, dies hours after wedding

trendy now

• Country singer Jake Flint, 37, dies hours after wedding

• Prince William’s godmother and royal aide resigns over racist remarks

To prove the Trump Organization guilty, prosecutors acted as “senior managers” of the company when Weisselberg and other executives engaged in tax evasion that the company somehow benefited from. I have to prove that.

Weisselberg has worked for the Trump family for almost 50 years and is currently on paid leave. His testimony was obtained as part of a plea bargain with prosecutors where he will serve his five-month prison sentence.

He testified that he improperly received bonus payments as non-employee compensation and hid various payments from the company for rent, car leases, and other personal expenses from tax authorities.

Weisselberg’s testimony may have also helped the defense. He told jurors that his own greed motivated him to cheat taxes and choked him on the stand while explaining how embarrassed he felt for betraying the Trump family’s trust. .

Bender, who was granted immunity from prosecution, was the primary witness called by the defense. He testified that he trusted Weisselberg to provide him with accurate financial information for inclusion on the company’s tax returns, and that he had no obligation to investigate further.

Trump, a Republican, said the charges were politically motivated. Current Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is a Democrat, as is prosecutor Cyrus Vance, who indicted last year.

The criminal case is separate from a $250 million civil lawsuit filed in September by the New York Attorney General, which exaggerated property values ​​and net worth in order to obtain favorable bank loans and insurance benefits. It’s suing Trump, his three adult children, and his company for being involved. .

Trump is also grappling with other legal issues. He called for the removal of government documents from the White House after his resignation and a federal investigation into efforts to reverse the 2020 election loss, as well as an attempt to undo the election loss in Georgia. faces a Georgia investigation into an attempt to