Letitia James Dunks On Trump After Family Company Fined $1.6M

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Two Trump family business entities were fined a total of a little more than $1.6 million on Friday by New York Judge Juan Merchan after a jury found the business, through those two branches of it, guilty on all counts in a scheme to evade taxes.

The circumstances that led to the criminal charges involved the company and top executives doling out and receiving high-dollar benefits for which required taxes weren’t paid. That list included apartment space in Manhattan for Allen Weisselberg, a former longtime Trump company executive who was recently sentenced to five months in prison in connection to these same actions. “Today, the Trump Organization has been sentenced for committing years of tax fraud and must pay $1.6 million, the maximum penalty,” James said on Twitter. “@ManhattanDA and I will always work to ensure any individual or organization that cheats New Yorkers is brought to justice. This sentencing proves once again that no one is above the law, not even Donald Trump or his business.”

The Manhattan district attorney, Alvin Bragg, also commented on the case. In remarks delivered in person on Friday, he indicated the underlying probe would be continuing, as he’s done before. “The sentencing today, along with the sentencing earlier this week, closes this important chapter of our ongoing investigation into the former president and his businesses,” Bragg said. “We now move on to the next chapter.” In prepared remarks released online, Bragg also spoke of the opening for policymakers to heighten what consequences were available in cases like this. The fine imposed was reported to be the max available, and a corporation obviously can’t be jailed, so that’s about it in terms of initial consequences. “It is also an important reminder that our state law must change so that we can impose more significant penalties and sanctions on corporations that commit crimes in New York,” Bragg said.

Elsewhere, Weisselberg may not end up serving the full sentence he was given, should he receive potential time off for good behavior. He was set to start the sentence right away and would reportedly be heading to the infamous New York City jail housed on Rikers Island. He paid $2 million in connection to the taxes he evaded throughout the years-long scheme. Although he testified at the company trial after pleading guilty, and although evidence is available showing Donald Trump’s direct involvement in some of the disputed benefits, like his signature on lease materials for a Weisselberg apartment, Allen shied away from implicating Donald. Instead, he credited what took place to his own personal greed. He is also a defendant in the separate civil lawsuit from James over allegedly deceptive valuations for dozens of Trump company assets, which a different judge in New York recently allowed to keep moving forward.