When was the Trump Organization founded? History explored as company is found guilty of criminal tax fraud

Two companies under the Trump Organization were found guilty of multiple charges (17 counts) of tax fraud. The two convicted companies are Trump Corp. and Trump Payroll Corp.

Despite the conviction, the Trump Organization and the companies are not in danger of being dismantled due to the lack of any such laws in New York.

The company's conviction was given by a Manhattan jury as its owner Donald Trump faces scrutiny in another lawsuit for trying to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

The sentencing date has been set on January 13, 2023.

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Trump Organization found guilty of tax fraud by a Manhattan jury

The Trump Organization is a real estate company whose sole owner is former US president Donald Trump. It serves as an umbrella company for several businesses of the former president. It was founded in 1927 by Elizabeth Christ Trump, Donald Trump's paternal grandmother, and Fred Trump, the former president's father.

After jury deliberations for two days, the company was convicted of tax crimes. The company has been found guilty of providing off-the-books benefits to its top executives and officials for years.

Prosecutors revealed that these benefits included luxury vehicles, school fees for private schools, and several other things. This resulted in reduced salaries, as a result of which the company had to pay fewer taxes.

According to prosecutor Joshua Steinglass:

“The smorgasbord of benefits is designed to keep its top executives happy and loyal.”

During the trial that continued for six weeks, the prosecutors also said that the company had a history and culture of fraud and deception. According to Trump, the trials are politically motivated.

BBC reported that the company might be facing a fine amounting to $1.6 million.

Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial executive of the Trump Organization, pleaded guilty to 15 felonies in August. Trump attacked him and asked why the company is being held liable for Weisselberg’s conduct. He also claimed that the former Republican leader had committed tax fraud on his tax returns.

During the trial, it was discovered that Donald Trump had agreed to pay for Allen Weisselberg’s grandchildren’s school fees.

Trump’s office released a statement saying:

“There was RELIANCE by us on a then highly respected and expensive accounting firm, and law firm, to do this work."

Calling it the continuation of the greatest political witch hunt in the history of the USA, the statement said that the case was unprecedented.

The verdict given by the court was praised by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. He said that for 13 years, the two companies got away with a scheme that awarded its high-level executives with "lavish perks and compensation," while they intentionally concealed the benefits from the taxing authorities.

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Trump and his children are involved in another civil lawsuit as well

A civil rights suit was filed against the Trump Organization back in 1973 by the Civil Rights Division of the US Dept. of Justice. The company allegedly violated Fair Housing Act 1968 by refusing rent to African-Americans.

Donald Trump and his three children are involved in another civil lawsuit led by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Speaking about the verdict she said,

“[It] shows that we will hold individuals and organizations accountable when they violate our laws to line their pockets.”

Senior legal analyst Elie Honig told CNN,

“Obviously, this is a setback for the Trump Org. – a major setback for the Trump Org. They’ve now been found guilty of criminal conduct, criminal tax fraud.”

Honig further added that it is a victory for the Manhattan district attorney as they theory has been "vindicated." It was theorized that a part of the employees' income, including Allen Weisselberg's income, was paid through fringe benefits so the company could avoid tax liability.

To convict the company, the prosecutors had to make the jury understand that Allen Weisselberg committed crimes “in behalf of” the Trump Organization.

Judge Juan Merchan explained it to the jury and said:

“Under the definition of ‘in behalf of,’ it is not necessary that the criminal acts actually benefit the corporation. But an agent’s acts are not ‘in behalf of' a corporation if they were undertaken solely to advance the agent's interest. Put another way, if the agent’s acts were taken merely for personal gain, they were not ‘in behalf of’ the corporation.”

While testifying, Allen Weisselberg said that although it was a benefit to the company, it was mainly done because of his own greed.

Trump’s attorneys claimed that what the former Republican leader did was to satisfy his greed, and had nothing to do with Trump Organization or the companies under it. They also claimed that he had broken the company’s trust and that no one from the Trump family could be blamed for his actions.

A spokesperson for the Trump Organization spoke to FOX Business and said:

“Mr. Weisselberg testified under oath that he 'betrayed' the trust the company had placed in him and that he, at all times, acted 'solely' for his 'own personal gain' and out of his ‘own personal greed.’"

The spokesperson added that the belief that a company could be held responsible for a single employee's actions to benefit themselves on their tax returns is "simple preposterous.

Joshua Steinglass later told the jury that the Trump Organization was guilty and gave unnecessary perks to top executives and got away with non-payment of taxes. The jury had convicted the company of tax fraud charges on all 17 counts.