Trump is predictably not reacting well to the jury verdict in New York City this week finding a pair of business entities associated with him guilty on a slew of charges stemming from a tax evasion scheme in which top executives were provided high-dollar benefits without either the Trump company or those receiving and benefiting from the perks paying the required taxes.
To provide an idea of the scale, Allen Weisselberg — a longtime executive at the Trump company who pleaded guilty to over a dozen felony offenses after failing to get the case against him thrown out — was required to pay nearly $2 million prior to his sentencing, covering what he owed. Some of the benefits provided included apartment space, cars, and even tuition for Weisselberg’s grandchildren — tuition payments that an accountant who worked on various tax returns around Trump including his personal filings claimed at trial that he raised concerns about in years past. That same accountant said he wasn’t aware in those years past of the company taking care of Allen’s apartment space but would have been concerned to the point of potentially ending his working relationship with either Allen or the company. (He referred to “the client.”) Trump claimed in a statement following the verdict that the company didn’t even financially benefit from what was alleged, but it also stood accused of not paying the required payroll taxes. It wasn’t just Allen skipping out on some of his personal taxes.
“This case was about Allen Weisselberg committing tax fraud on his personal tax returns, etc., with he and every witness repeatedly testifying that President Trump and the Trump Family knew nothing about his actions, which he admits were done solely for his own benefit, and with no benefit to the two companies,” Trump complained. “There was RELIANCE by us on a then highly respected… accounting firm, and law firm, to do this work. The accounting firm also did his personal returns, which we are not even allowed to legally view.” Rather than a complete lack of involvement, the trial actually showed elements of the case like Trump’s personal signature on some of that tuition money — meaning on multiple fronts Trump was simply misrepresenting the basic facts. He also promised an appeal. The conviction could leave his company with steep financial penalties — as it also faces a separate civil case from the New York state attorney general over allegations of fraudulently adjusting valuations of dozens of company assets. In that case, the state is seeking the return of $250 million tied to the false valuations.
“THE GREATEST WITCH HUNT OF ALL TIME CONTINUES, OVER & OVER AGAIN, & THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTRY AREN’T GOING TO TAKE IT MUCH LONGER. A GIANT POLITICAL SCAM!!!” Trump added Tuesday. He was also upset about Georgia Democratic Senate candidate Raphael Warnock winning. “OUR COUNTRY IS IN BIG TROUBLE. WHAT A MESS!” he said in evident connection to the election outcome.
Trump issues a statement reacting to the verdict, blaming everything on Allen Weisselberg pic.twitter.com/xA9TiAP1EB
— Ron Filipkowski 🇺🇦 (@RonFilipkowski) December 6, 2022
