The corporate enterprise of erstwhile President Trump, the Trump Organization, is set to go on trial Monday for a slew of purported tax and financial offenses.
Even though Trump has not been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with the massive investigation, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has not ruled out the possibility of doing so in the near future.
According to a report by Bloomberg, if the Trump Organization is found guilty, it will be required to pay fines and back taxes amounting to almost $1.6 million.
The Trump Organization, accused the previous year, entered a plea of not guilty to the accusations brought against it. In the event of a criminal conviction, no one will be sentenced to jail time.
Testimony
It is anticipated that Allen Weisselberg, who oversaw accounting for the corporation for many decades, will testify. In August, he reached a plea deal with the prosecuting attorneys and admitted guilt on all 15 counts related to the fraudulent plan.
Criminal trial against Trump Org for alleged fraud & tax crimes to start Monday
Manhattan DA charged Trump Org, subsidiary Trump Payroll Corp & CFO Allen Weisselberg who pleaded guilty in Aug to 15 counts
Parts of criminal investigation are ongoinghttps://t.co/vJ4pYyK2kD
— Wendy Siegelman (@WendySiegelman) October 22, 2022
Weisselberg was accused of participating in a 15-year arrangement. He allegedly received compensation off-the-books from the Trump Organization and avoided paying taxes on approximately $1.7 million worth of income.
His testimony has been eagerly awaited due to the substantial knowledge he possesses regarding the Trump Organization’s financial information.
Bragg only filed allegations against the Trump Organization, Weisselberg, and a Trump Organization company, Trump Payroll Corporation. This probe, which has been going on for a long time, was started by Bragg’s predecessor, Cyrus Vance.
Former prosecutors who worked under Bragg complained he is too timid to file charges against Trump out of concern he may lose the case.
Letitia James
Monday marks the beginning of the process of selecting a jury for the trial, which will take place at the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan.
Alongside the investigation led by Bragg, the attorney general of the state of New York, Letitia James, has been leading a comprehensive probe into the commercial transactions of Trump.
She filed a massive lawsuit worth $250 million against Trump and his corporate empire a month ago, accusing him of breaking various financial regulations and claiming damages in excess of $250 million.
BREAKING: Donald Trump has OFFICIALLY been served with Attorney General Letitia James' 220-page $250 million fraud lawsuit — after he dodged process servers for weeks.
— Jon Cooper (@joncoopertweets) October 19, 2022
“This investigation uncovered that Donald Trump engaged in criminal activity over a period of years to inflate his net worth.”
“It does not count as practicing the art of the deal to pretend you have money that you do not actually possess. It’s all about mastering the art of the heist,” James stated when she announced the suit a month ago.
James’ office and Bragg’s office have been helping each other out with their separate investigations through cooperative efforts.
Trump stated he did nothing wrong and referred to the inquiry being conducted by James as a “witch hunt.”
This article appeared in The Political Globe and has been published here with permission.
