London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Trump's company kicks off defense case in criminal tax fraud trial

Trump's company kicks off defense case in criminal tax fraud trial

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's real estate company began mounting a defense on Monday in its criminal trial on charges including tax fraud after the prosecution rested its case, questioning an outside accountant who the Trump Organization contends should have caught a top executive cheating on taxes.
Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office called five witnesses over three weeks including their star witness Allen Weisselberg, the company's former chief financial officer who pleaded guilty in August to charges including grand larceny and tax fraud.

The Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses and other real estate around the world, is accused of hiding executive perks from tax authorities for more than 15 years and falsely reporting bonuses as non-employee compensation. The company, which has pleaded not guilty, could face up to $1.6 million in fines for the three tax fraud counts and six other counts it faces, if convicted. Trump himself was not charged.

The first witness called by the defense was Donald Bender, an accountant with the firm Mazars who handled the Trump Organization's taxes. Bender was granted immunity from prosecution for testifying before the grand jury that indicted the company and Weisselberg.

The company's lawyers told jurors in opening statements on Oct. 31 that Weisselberg acted on his own and that Bender should have spotted the CFO's actions.

In questioning Bender for more than two hours on Monday, defense lawyer Susan Necheles sought to show that he was wary of upsetting Weisselberg, who as CFO was responsible for hiring Mazars. Bender said he prepared tax returns for Weisselberg and his family members free of charge as an "accommodation."

"Mr. Weisselberg was the person who approved Mazars' fees?" Necheles asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Bender replied.

Bender also testified that Weisselberg once asked him to compare his possible tax liability if he earned all of his income from wages against what he would owe if he earned some self-employment income.

Weisselberg, who has worked for the Trump family for about five decades and is currently on paid leave, has admitted to improperly receiving bonus payments as non-employee compensation as well as hiding from tax authorities various payments from the company for his rent, car leases and other personal expenses.

Bender was expected to continue testifying on Tuesday.

Mazars in February dropped the company as a client and said it could no longer stand behind a decade of Trump's financial statements.

Weisselberg during his three days of testimony last week said he worked with the Trump Organization's controller to misreport his and others' income on company tax forms, which let the company save on salary payments as well as payroll taxes. The prosecution's final witness was Mukaila Rabiu, an auditor with the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Trump, a Republican who last week launched another bid for the presidency in 2024, has called the charges politically motivated. Alvin Bragg, the current Manhattan district attorney, is a Democrat, as is the DA who brought the charges last year, Cyrus Vance.

The criminal case is separate from a $250 million civil lawsuit filed by New York's attorney general against Trump, three of his adult children and his company in September, accusing them of overstating asset values and his net worth to get favorable bank loans and insurance coverage.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday named a special counsel to oversee the Justice Department's investigations related to Trump including his handling of sensitive government documents after leaving office and efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×