Trump’s Company Is Guilty of Tax Fraud, a Blow to the Firm and the Man
New York TimesNov 25, 2022
The Facts
In a Manhattan court on Tuesday, the Trump Organization was convicted of tax crimes committed by two long-time executives, including conspiracy, scheme to defraud, criminal tax fraud, and falsifying business records.
The company was convicted on a total of 17 counts and, though he wasn't personally a defendant in the tax evasion case involving compensation in the form of perks to its then-CFO Allen Weisselberg and other executives since 2005, a prosecutor alleged that former Pres. Trump "knew exactly what was going on."
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
This case was just another attempt to undermine Trump and his organization with frivolous lawsuits. Weisselberg had already pleaded guilty and is the clear culprit behind the alleged scheme, yet the former president's opposition is quick to use this as a weapon against him. Democrats seemingly won’t stop until they’ve bled Trump dry via legal warfare.
Democratic narrative
Attempts to separate Trump from the fraud committed by his company are naïve. While the former president may not be on trial in this particular case, there's no doubt that the businessman was fully aware of Weisselberg's — and the rest of the company's — doings. The defense had a losing case from the start.
