NEW YORK – The Donald Trump organization was tried Monday in a criminal tax case, and the first task facing the court is a big one: elect a jury of New Yorkers who do not have a strong opinion of the former president.
Manhattan prosecutors say the Trump Organization has helped top executives avoid income taxes on job benefits such as free apartments and luxury cars.
Trump himself is not on trial and shouldn’t testify. But the judge and case lawyers will likely try to keep people off the jury if they have unshakable feelings for the Republican, who isn’t loved in his hometown.
In the 2020 presidential election, 87% of Manhattan voters backed Democrat Joe Biden for the presidency. Trump got 12% of the vote.
“We think it will likely be a good solid week for jury selection,” Trump Organization lawyer William Brennan said when he arrived in court on Monday. “When you summarize it all, it’s an ordinary tax case. And that’s how they should see it. “
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan kicked things off Monday by bringing 132 potential jurors to court.
Everyone stood up, raised their right hand and took the oath. The judge then addressed them for more than 20 minutes, describing the case and explaining that they are looking for impartial juries who decide solely on the basis of evidence.
Merchan told the jury that the trial would last about six weeks and that during the case the jurors would likely hear Trump’s name and the names of his three eldest children, Ivanka, Eric, and Donald Trump Jr.
The trial should focus on the actions and testimony of veteran Trump Organization executive Allen Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty to accepting more than $ 1.7 million in untaxed profits from the company in August.
Trump criticized the investigation as a “political witch hunt”. The firm’s lawyers said the Trump Organization followed the rules.
If found guilty, the company could be fined over $ 1 million. A guilty verdict could hinder your ability to borrow and do business.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg inherited the post when he took office in January. Bragg has taken a cautious approach towards Trump, refusing so far to press charges against him personally in what is now a three-year investigation.
The jury selection process could take several days, especially if people in the group express reservations about your ability to be neutral. However, getting a panel with an open mind could be key to avoiding a mistrial.
In the spring, another trial in the neighboring federal court ended in a mistrial due to tensions between jurors over political views. That case involved associates of former Trump adviser Steve Bannon, accused of defrauding a charity set up to help pay for a wall along the US border with Mexico.
Eleven jurors in that case sent a note to the judge asking that another juror be removed because that person had shown antigovernment bias and accused everyone else of being liberal. The judge refused and the jury ultimately couldn’t agree on a verdict.
