It’s all about this
The proceedings in Manhattan began Monday with the selection of the twelve jurors, American media reported unanimously. The selection is the start of a process that has been preceded by years of research. The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office subsequently filed charges last year against the Trump Organization and its longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, for tax fraud, among other charges.
Jury selection in the Trump Organization’s criminal tax fraud trial began Monday with the screening of about 130 potential jurors, some of whom could serve on the panel that will decide whether the former president’s eponymous company has committed crimes. https://t.co/DSzQ4M2cZb
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) October 24, 2022
the accusation
According to the public prosecutor, the company systematically defrauded the tax authorities from 2005 to 2021 under Weisselberg’s supervision. This was to hide tax-free benefits such as luxury cars and expensive apartments from Weisselberg and other executives. The Trump Organization and another accused group company could face fines of up to $1.7 million.
The role of Allen Weisselberg
In June 2021, Weisselberg resigned as chief financial officer of the Trump Organization. A few weeks later, he pleaded guilty to a total of 15 charges – including conspiracy, tax fraud, mass theft and falsification of company data. The 75-year-old escaped a possible prison sentence of up to 15 years.
Instead, he had to pay a total of nearly $2 million in taxes and fines owed, and was given five months in prison and five additional years of probation. In return, he agreed to testify against the company in the trial, but not against Trump himself.
The role of Donald Trump
Donald Trump himself has not been charged and is unlikely to testify, according to media reports. Trump is also not expected to be charged with any wrongdoing at trial. Still, the lawsuit has an impact on Trump because of his years of involvement with the company. When he took office as US president in January 2017, Donald Trump announced his retirement from the top of his group of companies, which consists of many smaller companies. He had passed this on to Weisselberg and his sons Don Jr. and Eric Trump.
Trump himself has struggled with the US judiciary in a number of other cases — including disputes over the withholding of government documents, the storming of the Capitol, the delivery of tax documents or fraud. (con/sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
