The Trump Corporation and the Trump Payroll Corp., which together do business as The Trump Organization, have both been found guilty on all counts by a trial jury in Manhattan. The companies were on trial for criminal tax fraud, producing fraudulent business records and related issues in a scheme that ran for more than 13-years. There had been a total of 17 criminal counts and the jury rendered a guilty verdict on each one. The verdicts came quickly, since the jury had just been charged by the judge yesterday.
It had been charged that the company paid executives off the books in order to avoid paying various taxes. Former CFO Allen Weisselberg became a witness for the prosecution in a deal that allowed him plead guilty and to escape the possibility of several years in jail and instead serve only five months.
As part of the deal, Weisselberg agreed to testify against the companies but not against Donald Trump or other family members. He admitted that the scheme in which he was involved allowed him to avoid paying more than $1.76 million in taxes while receiving compensation from the Trump Organization that included cars, apartments and other benefits on top of his salary.
Donald Trump and his family members were not charged in the case that had been brought by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. However, prosecutors produced evidence during the trial that showed Trump was aware of what was going on and had actually signed-off on at least one aspect of the scheme.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “We can have no tolerance for individuals or organizations that violate our laws to line their pockets. I commend Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his team for their successful prosecution of the Trump Organization, and I was proud to assist in this important case. This verdict sends a clear message that no one, and no organization, is above our laws.”
The Trump companies were each convicted by a New York State Supreme Court jury of:
- Scheme to Defraud in the First Degree, a class E felony, one count
- Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count
- Criminal Tax Fraud in Third Degree, a class D felony, two counts
- Criminal Tax Fraud in the Fourth Degree, a class E felony, one count
- Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony, three counts
- Falsifying Business Records in the First Degree, a class E felony
Sentencing is expected to occur on January 13.
