China News Agency, New York, July 1st. According to US media reports, the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg (Allen Weisselberg) were prosecuted by the prosecutor on July 1 for suspected tax crimes.
The Wall Street Journal said that the Manhattan District Attorney's Office filed tax-related criminal charges against the Trump Group and Wesselberg on the same day. This is the first criminal charge brought by the prosecutors after several years of investigations into the group.
The prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization has continued to commit tax fraud for 15 years, including failing to record employee salaries, executives enjoying benefits such as company rental cars, high-end apartments, and failing to file taxes in accordance with regulations, and so on.
Weisselberg's illegal tax avoidance since 2005 totaled about 1.76 million U.S. dollars.
Data map: Trump.
The New York Times reported that the Trump Organization’s lawyers issued a statement on the same day that the case should be handled by the civil tax authorities and that the prosecution’s prosecution was “inappropriate and unreasonable”.
The statement criticized the prosecution for having political intentions. The reason for this case was that "the group's name is Trump."
Weisselberg himself refused to plead guilty, and his lawyer said he would fight in court.
Trump himself also issued a statement, again using the term "political witch hunt" to accuse the prosecution.
The Wall Street Journal quoted prosecutor Carey Dunne as saying that this case has nothing to do with politics and the Trump Organization should be held accountable. “There is no clearer example than this company.”
Weisselberg is currently released awaiting trial, but the prosecution has confiscated his passport on the grounds of the risk of escape.
Weisselberg has worked for Trump for more than 50 years and is highly regarded by Trump.
The Associated Press reported that Trump’s two sons: Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are both executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization.
Although the prosecutors accused the group of assisting executives in fraudulent tax avoidance, no one other than Wesselberg has become a defendant in this prosecution.
According to the analysis of the report, if the Trump Organization is eventually convicted, it will face punitive measures such as fines; even if it is not convicted in the end, the group may encounter trouble in financing and negotiating business.
New York State's Attorney General, Letitia James, issued a statement on the same day, saying that this lawsuit is a landmark incident in the investigation of the Trump Group's potential criminal conduct. The prosecution will continue to investigate in depth based on facts and the law.
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