Trump Organization set to face criminal tax fraud trial in New York starting Monday

[iluvtennis]

NEW YORK (AP) — More than three years after Manhattan prosecutors started investigating Donald Trump — after going to the Supreme Court twice to gain access to his tax records — the only criminal trial to arise from their efforts is about to begin.

No, the former president isn’t going on trial. His company is.

The Trump Organization, the holding company for Trump’s buildings, golf courses and other assets, is accused of helping some top executives avoid income taxes on compensation they got in addition to their salaries, like rent-free apartments and luxury cars.

Trump signed some of the checks at the center of the case but he is not charged with anything and is not expected to testify or attend the trial, which starts Monday with jury selection.

If convicted, the Trump Organization could be fined more than $1 million — but that’s not the only potential fallout.

Trump’s ardent supporters aren’t likely to abandon him, no matter the outcome, but a guilty verdict could hamper his company’s ability to get loans and make deals. New York City, for one, could use the legal cloud as new justification for seeking to oust the company from running a city-owned golf course.

{{CUTS}}

The star witness for the prosecution is expected to be Allen Weisselberg, one of Trump’s most trusted senior executives.

Weisselberg pleaded guilty in August to taking in over $1.7 million worth of untaxed perks from the company, including school tuition for his grandchildren, a Manhattan apartment and Mercedes cars for him and his wife.

...read full article at this link: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/trump-organization-set-to-face-criminal-tax-fraud-trial-in-new-york-starting-monday

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. Allen Weisselberg,

C'mon down! Tell the truth and get sentence relief!

[tanyev]

2. Boom!

[Laura PourMeADrink]

3. Not televised right?

[iluvtennis]

4. I believe the Manhattan DA works out of SDNY which is part of

federal courts. Federal trials aren’t televised:

[brooklynite]

5. No, the Manhattan DA works out of the Manhattan DA's office. This is a State Court matter.

[iluvtennis]

7. Ok, thanks for that. So, do you know if NY state televises court trials? n/t

[brooklynite]

8. Not that I'm aware of.

[iluvtennis]

9. Thanks again - info is much appreciated. n/t

[chriscan64]

6. Court sketch artists need to know if Trump is there or not

They need to know how many gallons of orange to buy. They could use orange construction paper, but that may be in short supply due to Halloween.

[brooklynite]

10. If Trump had appeared, you would have heard about it.