A New York jury Tuesday found the Trump Organization guilty on all charges in a criminal fraud case initiated by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Former President Trump’s company, charged as both the Trump Corporation and the Trump Payroll Corporation, was charged with scheming to defraud federal, state and local authorities to avoid taxes spanning 2005 through 2021. This is the first conclusion in a long line of legal cases against the Trump Organization and Trump.
After numerous requests by the jury to the judge for clarification on the charges, the jury convicted the Trump Corporation and the Trump Payroll Corporation of: one count of a scheme to defraud in the first degree, one count of conspiracy in the fourth degree, two counts of criminal tax fraud in the third degree, one count of criminal tax fraud in the fourth degree and three counts of falsifying business records in the first degree. The Trump Corporation alone was convicted of an additional count of falsifying business records in the first degree.
The Trump Corporation and The Trump Payroll Corporation have been found guilty on all counts in the Trump Organization’s tax fraud trial pic.twitter.com/bm00a90yjl
— Gary Grumbach (@GaryGrumbach) December 6, 2022
Commenting on the verdict, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said, “This was a case about greed and cheating. In Manhattan, no corporation is above the law.” Sentencing is scheduled for January 13, 2023. The Trump Organization faces a potential fine of over $1 million.
The trial began with jury selection on October 24. In opening arguments, prosecutors claimed the Trump Organization defrauded tax authorities for 15 years, while the Trump Organization legal team attempted to cast blame solely upon former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. Similar arguments persisted throughout the case with prosecutors and Trump Organization lawyers echoing their opening statements during closing statements.
A New York grand jury indicted the Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg with scheming to defraud charges in January 2021. The investigation into the Trump Organization’s taxes first began in 2018 when then-Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. launched a criminal investigation into claims that Trump used funds from his private charity to pay off women he had extramarital affairs with. The investigation expanded in 2020 to include other potential criminal acts committed by Trump and his organization. Trump himself was not charged in this case. The conclusion of this case is also separate from the civil investigation led by New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office.
