Donald Trump’s family real estate company has been found guilty of tax crimes.
The Trump Organization was convicted on all counts on Tuesday (06.12.22) after two days of jury deliberations in New York.
The business is synonymous with the former US president but neither Trump nor any of his family members were actually on trial.
Trump has vowed to appeal the verdict and said he was “disappointed” and branded the case as a “witch hunt”.
The company was convicted of enriching top executives with off-the-books benefits for more than a decade.The untaxed perks included luxury cars and private school fees, prosecutors said, which made up for lower salaries and therefore reduced the amount of tax the business was required to pay.
The company is expected to face a fine of around $1.6 million and may also find difficulty in securing loans and financing in the future.
Trump has criticized the trial as being politically motivated and also attacked his long-serving former chief financial executive Allen Weisselberg after he pleaded guilty in August and testified against the business as part of a plea deal that will mean he spends no more than five months in prison.
In a statement issued by his office, Trump said: “There was RELIANCE by us on a then highly respected and expensive accounting firm, and law firm, to do this work.
“This case is unrepresented and… is a continuation of the Greatest Political Witch Hunt in the History of our Country.”
