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"The entire defense strategy here is to promote the notion that Weisselberg did it for Weisselberg," Steinglass told the jury in a New York state court in Manhattan. Steinglass told jurors that Trump executives other than Weisselberg were involved, saying the company's chief operating officer and a former general counsel received Christmas bonuses as if they were independent contractors. If convicted on all nine counts it faces, Trump's company faces up to $1.6 million in fines. 'SMORGASBORD OF BENEFITS'Defense lawyers had told jurors on Thursday that Weisselberg's intent was to benefit himself and not the company. Weisselberg is expected to serve five months in jail after pleading guilty to tax fraud and other charges.

☆ Trump company tax fraud trial nears end in battle over who to blame
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Joshua Steinglass, a prosecutor with the Manhattan district attorney's office, said Weisselberg was a product of the "culture of fraud and deception" at Trump's company, and not its only tax fraud beneficiary. Weisselberg is expected to serve five months in jail after pleading guilty to tax fraud and other charges. He told jurors his greed motivated him to cheat on taxes, and described the company's modest payroll tax savings as a "byproduct." Necheles told jurors: "The issue here is not whether as a byproduct the company saved some money. Steinglass urged jurors to dismiss the defense's "far-fetched argument" that Trump's company relied on Mazars to catch wrongdoing.

☆ Explainer: The Trump Organization trial is nearing its end. What's the case about?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Here are answers to questions about the accusations the Trump Organization faces. WHAT IS THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION ACCUSED OF DOING? Trump Payroll Corp and the Trump Corporation have been charged with nine counts of scheme to defraud, conspiracy, tax fraud and other crimes. Lawyers for the Trump Organization have sought to shift the blame to Weisselberg, saying he cheated on his personal tax returns to benefit himself, not the company. Mazars cut ties with the Trump Organization this year.

☆ Man sentenced up to three years in prison for fatal hit-and-run of ‘Gone Girl’ actress Lisa Banes
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Tavleen Tarrant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Brian Boyd, the 27-year-old man who killed ‘Gone Girl’ actress Lisa Banes in a hit-and-run incident, has been sentenced to up to three years in prison Wednesday, according to Douglas Cohen from the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Boyd pleaded guilty in September to manslaughter in the second degree and leaving the scene of an incident resulting in death without reporting, according to the DA. “Lisa Banes was a beloved friend, family and community member whose life was tragically cut short. Banes seen here with Ben Affleck in 2014's 'Gone Girl.' Banes was known for starring as Marybeth Elliot in the 2014 film “Gone Girl,” but has also starred alongside Tom Cruise in the 1988 film “Cocktail” and has appeared in TV shows like “Nashville,” “Masters of Sex,” and “Royal Pains.”

Two armed men arrested in connection with online threats against New York City's Jewish community had a Manhattan synagogue in their sights, a prosecutor said Sunday. The two had traveled to Pennsylvania late last week to purchase a gun, prosecutors said in the charging documents. "I changed my mind because I was nervous about the police and didn't want the gun anymore," Brown is quoted as saying. Mahrer ultimately purchased the weapon from the man who drove them out of state, Brown said, according to prosecutors. Earlier in the week, Brown is also alleged to have tweeted, "Big moves being made on Friday."

Trump, a Republican, has accused the Justice Department of engaging in a partisan witch hunt. NEW YORK CRIMINAL PROBEThe Trump Organization is on trial on New York tax fraud charges, in a criminal case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Committee vice chair Liz Cheney, a Republican, has said the committee could make referrals to the Justice Department seeking criminal charges against Trump. Only the Justice Department can decide whether to charge Trump with federal crimes. Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties.

Companies Trump Organization Inc FollowNEW YORK, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Allen Weisselberg, a longtime senior executive at former U.S. President Donald Trump's family business, took the stand on Tuesday as the prosecution's star witness at the Trump Organization's tax fraud trial in New York state court. Weisselberg, 75, pleaded guilty in August to avoiding taxes on $1.76 million in personal income and helping Trump's real estate company engineer the tax fraud scheme. During questioning by prosecutor Susan Hoffinger on Tuesday, Weisselberg said he began working as an accountant for Trump's father, the real estate developer Fred Trump, in 1973. Weisselberg said the Trump Organization's business portfolio grew more diversified since he began working there, branching out into hotels, golf courses and commercial properties. Weisselberg is the third witness to take the stand in the trial, which began with jury selection on Oct. 24.

☆ The notable legal clouds that continue to hang over Donald Trump
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Dan Berman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

CNN —All eyes are on former President Donald Trump, whose third White House bid has already become mired in controversy. The Justice Department investigation continues into whether documents from the Trump White House were illegally mishandled when they were brought to Mar-a-Lago in Florida after he left office. Any unauthorized retention or destruction of White House documents could violate a criminal law that prohibits the removal or destruction of official government records, legal experts told CNN. During the panel’s hearings this summer, fingers were pointed at GOP lawmakers and Trump allies who tried to help overturn the election and Trump White House officials who failed to stop the former president’s actions. Recently, DOJ moved to compel additional testimony from former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and deputy White House counsel Patrick Philbin.

☆ Some of NY Gov. Kathy Hochul's top donors privately sound alarm over GOP candidate Lee Zeldin surge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Kathy Hochul's top donors are privately panicking about Republican challenger Rep. Lee Zeldin's recent surge in the polls ahead of Tuesday's midterms, according to people familiar with the matter. One Democratic advisor, who counts numerous Hochul donors as clients, said he's having "PTSD" as he sees Zeldin closing in on Hochul in the polls. Bragg has been criticized, often by GOP officials, for the uptick in crime in New York City. Zeldin said at the debate that his first initiative if he becomes governor is to remove Bragg from office. Hochul told Zeldin at the time "you can't throw out someone who is duly elected."

Prosecutors have charged two Trump Organization units with cheating tax authorities over a 15-year period. Lawyers for the two Trump Organization units said Weisselberg cheated on taxes to benefit himself, not the company. To prove the Trump Organization is guilty, prosecutors must show that a "high managerial agent" of the company - in this case, Weisselberg - acted in his official capacity. He and others also got paid bonuses from other Trump Organization entities as contractors, rather than as employees. Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, has rejected the argument that the Trump Organization was targeted for selective prosecution.

REUTERS/Go NakamuraNEW YORK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Former President Donald Trump's real estate company cheated tax authorities over a 15-year period, a New York prosecutor told a jury on Monday in her opening statement in the Trump Organization's criminal tax fraud trial. The Trump Organization has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, the Trump Organization - which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world - could face up to $1.6 million in fines. It could also further complicate the real estate firm's ability to do business. Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, has rejected the argument that the Trump Organization was targeted for selective prosecution.

NEW YORK, Oct 31 (Reuters) - Opening statements are set for Monday in the criminal case accusing former President Donald Trump's real estate company of a 15-year tax fraud. If convicted, the company - which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world - could face up to $1.6 million in fines. It could also further complicate the real estate firm's ability to do business. But in a pretrial hearing this month, a Trump Organization lawyer accused Weisselberg of lying, an indication of the bind the company finds itself in. Justice Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the case, has rejected the argument that the Trump Organization was targeted for selective prosecution.

NEW YORK, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The judge in the criminal trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump's real estate company on charges of tax fraud set opening statements for Monday after the conclusion of jury selection on Friday with six alternates named to the panel. Weisselberg in August pleaded guilty and will testify for the prosecution. The Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world, could face up to $1.6 million in fines for the three tax fraud counts and six other counts it faces, if convicted. Those selected as alternate jurors included several who expressed dislike for Trump, including one who described some of his comments as "racist" and another who called him "offensive" and "degrading." Weisselberg pleaded guilty to charges including grand larceny and tax fraud while admitting to concealing $1.76 million in income.

Oz, Fetterman disagree on student debt cancelation Both candidates were asked how they would address the cost of higher education, but neither provided a concrete plan. Instead, Fetterman and Oz made clear their differing views on President Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in federal student debt. Share this -Link copiedFetterman calls Oz a liar and talks up stroke recovery Fetterman was asked about his qualifications for office to open the debate. Share this -Link copiedMeanwhile in N.Y.: Hochul, Zeldin clash in feisty governor's debate As the Pennsylvania Senate candidates get ready for debate, the New York gubernatorial debate is already well underway. Share this -Link copiedPa. Senate independent candidate drops out, endorses Fetterman Everett Stern, an independent write-in candidate in the Pennsylvania Senate race, announced Tuesday that he’s dropping out and endorsing Democrat John Fetterman.

The Trump Organization and Weisselberg, its longtime chief financial officer, were indicted last year following a yearslong investigation into the company's financial practices by the Manhattan district attorney's office. He also agreed "to testify truthfully at the upcoming trial of the Trump Organization" or face a sentence of up to 5 to 15 years in prison, prosecutors said. Under New York law, the Trump Organization faces up to about $1.6 million in penalties if convicted on all counts. “The scheme also allowed the Trump Organization to evade the payment of payroll taxes that the Trump Organization was required to pay in connection with employee compensation,” the indictment said. The trial comes at an already perilous time for Trump and his company.

The Manhattan district attorney's office charged the Trump Organization and Allen Weisselberg, its then-chief financial officer, in July 2021. Weisselberg pleaded guilty in August to 15 charges, which included grand larceny and tax fraud, and admitted concealing $1.76 million in income in an agreement with prosecutors that requires him to testify at this trial. Prosecutors accused the company of engaging in a sweeping tax fraud over a period of 15 years starting in 2005. Lawyers for the Trump Organization have called the case a "selective prosecution" based on animosity by the prosecution toward Trump for his political views, though the judge overseeing it has rejected that argument. Two other Trump Organization employees received compensation in the form of lodging and car leases, prosecutors added.

☆ Trump company set for criminal trial in an off-books pay scheme
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

If convicted, the Trump Organization could be fined more than $1 million — but that's not the only potential fallout. The Trump Organization has said it did nothing wrong and that it looks forward "to having our day in court." The former Trump Organization chief financial officer must also pay nearly $2 million in taxes, penalties and interest and complete five years of probation. When the Trump Organization and Weisselberg were indicted in 2021, prosecutors called the tax scheme "sweeping and audacious" and said it was "orchestrated by the most senior executives." "The purpose of the scheme was to compensate Weisselberg and other Trump Organization executives in a manner that was 'off the books,'" the indictment said.

While jurors cannot be excluded for simply holding certain political views or expressing disapproval of Trump, experts said the lawyers will aim to remove jurors who cannot be fair and impartial. Similarly, Gomez said the government will look to weed out strongly pro-Trump jurors who are unable to put those views aside. However, a guilty verdict must be unanimous, which means one juror unwilling to convict the Trump Organization would upend the government's case. Neither the district attorney's office nor the Trump Organization's lawyers responded to requests for comment. Lawyers for the Trump Organization have claimed the Manhattan district attorney's case is a "selective prosecution" based on animosity toward Trump's political views, though the judge overseeing it has rejected that argument.

His plea agreement requires him to testify at the trial against the Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterJury selection is scheduled to begin on Monday in Manhattan state court. The Trump Organization could face up to $1.6 million in fines for the three tax fraud counts and six other counts that were brought. The company's lawyers also said prosecutors presented no evidence to the grand jury that returned the indictment that the Trump Organization evaded payroll taxes. Two other Trump Organization employees received compensation in the form of lodging and car leases, prosecutors said.

☆ Trump's company seeks to avoid consequences from lawsuit, NY prosecutor says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Luc Cohen | Thomson Reuters | Reports On The New York Federal Courts. Previously Worked As A Correspondent In Venezuela | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

NEW YORK, Oct 13 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's family company is trying to restructure itself to avoid potential consequences from a lawsuit accusing the Trump Organization, Trump and three of his adult children of fraud, New York state Attorney General Letitia James said on Thursday. James said the Trump Organization on the date of the lawsuit registered a new Delaware-incorporated company named "Trump Organization II" with New York authorities. She said the Trump Organization has not provided assurances it will not seek to move assets out of New York. Lawyers for Trump's children and the Trump Organization did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has separately charged the Trump Organization with criminal tax fraud, and is preparing for an Oct. 24 trial.

☆ Man pleads guilty in hit-run death of ‘Gone Girl’ actor Lisa Banes
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +1 min

The man charged with fatally striking “Gone Girl” actor Lisa Banes with an electric scooter last year pleaded guilty to manslaughter Wednesday and is expected to be sentenced to one to three years in prison. Brian Boyd, 27, will be sentenced Nov. 30 in the death of Banes, who was hit by the scooter Boyd was operating as she crossed a New York City street in June 2021. He pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree manslaughter and leaving the scene of an incident without reporting. The sentence promised to Boyd was less than the three to nine years that prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney’s office had sought. “Lisa Banes will be remembered for her contributions to the rich fabric of New York City through her roles on screen and on Broadway.

She called the "pattern of fraud and deception" used by Trump and the Trump Organization "astounding." 'DISASTERS OF THE WORLD'(L-R) Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Ivanka Trump and Donald Trump attend the ground breaking of the Trump International Hotel at the Old Post Office Building in Washington, July 2014. Donald Trump Jr tweeted that James was "weaponizing her office to go after her political opponents!" Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has separately charged the Trump Organization with criminal tax fraud, and is preparing for an Oct. 24 trial. read more"Our criminal investigation concerning former President Donald J. Trump, the Trump Organization, and its leadership is active and ongoing," Bragg said in a statement.

☆ October 24 trial date set for Trump Organization and its former top money man Allen Weisselberg
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-12 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

A Manhattan judge has set an October 24 trial date for Donald Trump's business and his former CFO. Before learning their trial date, Weisselberg and lawyers for the Trump family business first learned a string of bad, though likely expected, news. If convicted of the grand larceny charge, Weisselberg, 74, would have to serve a mandatory minimum of one year in jail; the charge allows for the unlikely maximum sentence of 15 years. Also at the prosecution table was Gary Fishman, who is leading New York Attorney General Letitia James' probe into Trump and the Trump Organization; he is cross-designated as a Manhattan prosecutor. The prosecution of Weisselberg and the Trump Organization is the only indictment to come out of Manhattan.

NEW YORK, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Two prosecutors who had been leading the Manhattan district attorney's criminal probe into former U.S. President Donald Trump and his business practices have resigned, the district attorney's office said on Wednesday. Neither the Trump Organization nor its lawyer Alan Futerfas immediately responded to requests for comment. The criminal probe resulted last July in tax fraud charges against the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg. A new grand jury was convened in September to examine how the Trump Organization valued its assets. Pomerantz, a former federal prosecutor, had been on leave from the law firm Paul Weiss while working on the Trump probe.

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