Prosecution in Trump Organization tax fraud case rests earlier than expected

Prosecutors in New York on Monday rested their side in a tax fraud trial against the Trump Organization after eight days of presenting their case, which hinged largely on the testimony of two top executives who spoke about how they avoided taxes.

Attorneys for the Trump Organization are expected to start calling witnesses on Monday afternoon after the Manhattan District Attorney’s wrapped up its case, according to The Associated Press.

The trial, which began in late October, is the result of a three-year probe into whether top executives at the company engaged in tax fraud from 2005 to June 2021.

The Trump Organization’s corporate leadership is accused of helping those top executives avoid income taxes on compensation and luxury perks. If found guilty, the company, which consists of hundreds of entities related to Trump, could face up to a $1 million penalty.

During the trial, Manhattan prosecutors focused on the testimony of the Trump Organization’s longtime Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg as well as testimony from Jeffrey McConney, a senior vice president and controller.

Weisselberg, 75, was charged last year and pleaded guilty in August to 15 counts of tax evasion. He is accused of evading $1.76 million he received through perks.

On the witness stand, Weisselberg testified that he conspired with McConney to conceal about a decade’s worth of those perks from his taxable income.

McConney, who was offered immunity for his testimony, said he helped hide the perks, including luxury apartments and Mercedes-Benz cars, by issuing falsified tax documents or reducing salaries.

Weisselberg, who was given a reduced sentence for testifying as a witness, said neither Trump nor his family were involved with the scheme.

The longtime CFO also said Trump and his two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, signed bonus checks made out to independent contractors that helped him further skirt reporting on taxable income, according to Reuters.

But Weisselberg affirmed the Trump family did not conspire with him to cheat on his taxes.

“It was my own personal greed that led to this,” he said on the witness stand, Reuters reported. Weisselberg also choked up during his testimony and apologized for violating the trust the company had placed in him.

Prosecutors called up three other witnesses: an accounts payable supervisor for the Trump Organization and two experts, a forensic accountant and a state tax auditor.

Trump himself is not accused of any wrongdoing in the trial, but Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) has said the investigation is ongoing and Trump could still face criminal charges.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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