The Trump Organization is about to face a criminal trial, the result of a three-year investigation that included two trips to the Supreme Court to force former President Donald Trump to hand over his tax returns.
Manhattan prosecutors have accused the Trump Organization of helping top executives avoid paying income taxes on compensation they received from the company. The star witness for the prosecution, Allen Weisselberg, who was a top executive for the company, says he received a Manhattan apartment, tuition for his grandchildren, and Mercedes cars for him and his wife.
Weisselberg, who worked at the Trump Organization for over five decades, pleaded guilty to taking over $1.7 million in untaxed perks from the Trump Organization. His testimony is part of a plea agreement that saw him sentenced to five months in Rikers Island jail, though he is likely to serve three months with good behavior.
While Trump signed some of the checks central to the case, the former President has not been charged and is not expected to testify or attend the trial. Instead, the case charges the Trump Organization as an entity. It faces up to a million dollars in fines and could be prevented from receiving loans in the state. The government of New York City may also use the case to justify removing the Trump Organization as the managers of a city-owned golf course.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg says that the investigation into Donald Trump himself is ongoing and charges may come in the future.
Since Trump took office in 2016, the day-to-day operations of the Trump Organization have been handled by his sons: Donald Jr. and Eric. Like their father, they will not face any personal liability in this case.
“The purpose of the scheme was to compensate Weisselberg and other Trump Organization executives in a manner that was ‘off the books,’” the indictment alleges.
The Trump Organization said in a statement that it has done nothing wrong and that it looks forward to “having our day in court.” Meanwhile, Trump has called the case “a political witch hunt.”
Trump is facing multiple legal issues in a variety of jurisdictions. Also in New York, a civil case seeks $250 million from the Trump Organization and a permanent ban on Trump from doing business in the state.
The former President is also facing another civil suit from magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll who has accused Trump of raping her in the mid-1990s. He was forced to give a deposition in that case last week.
The FBI is continuing to investigate Trump’s handling of sensitive government documents in his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. That case included an FBI raid on Trump’s residence.
In Georgia, a special grand jury is investigating if Trump and his allies interfered in the 2020 Presidential election in that state.
The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the US Capitol also subpoenaed Trump to force him to testify. It is unknown if the former President will comply with that order and it is expected to become a legal battle over the coming weeks.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar English Website)
