By Karen Freifeld and Luc Cohen
NUEVAYORKOctober 31 – Former President Donald Trump’s real estate company has been deceiving tax authorities for a period of 15 years, a New York attorney said Monday in his statement opening the criminal trial for tax fraud against the Trump Organization.
The case is among the growing legal problems facing 76-year-old Trump as he considers another presidential race after losing in 2020.
At least between 2005 and 2021, the Trump Organization paid the executives including its CFO, Allen Weisselberg about perks like rentals and car rentals without reporting those perks to tax authorities, said Susan Hoffinger of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
“The scheme was led, directed and authorized at the highest levels of the company’s accounting department,” said Hoffinger. “Here everyone wins (…) Everyone except the treasure. The problem with doing it this way is that it’s not legal. “
The Trump Organization has pleaded not guilty. Trump was not charged in the case.
Susan Necheles attorney for the Trump Corporation, one of the two Trump Organization units accused in the case He said the trial is about Weisselberg’s personal tax returns.
“Keep in mind the extreme pressure Mr. Weisselberg is under,” Necheles said. “This starts with Allen Weisselberg and ends with Allen Weisselberg”.
Weisselberg evaded taxes on $ 1.76 million in personal income through luxury perks, such as renting an apartment in Manhattan. He agreed to testify as a witness for the prosecution at the trial as part of a five-month prison sentence.
If convicted, the Trump organization which manages hotels, golf courses and other properties around the world could face fines of up to $ 1.6 million. It could also further complicate the real estate company’s ability to do business.
A unanimous verdict is required to convict each allegation of tax fraud, fraud scheme and forgery of business records.
