Tag: The Trump Organization

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Crime Donald Trump The Trump Organization

Trump’s ‘Money Man’ Has Met With Prosecutors And Testified Before NY Grand Jury: Report

When indictments were unsealed earlier this month against the Trump Organization and Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, another key member of the Trump Org. inner circle had already testified to a Manhattan grand jury.

Jeff McConney is the controller for the former president’s company, and it turns out he’s admitted in the past that Trump Org. has broken or skirted the law, according to The Daily Beast, which obtained a transcript of a confidential interview between McConney and the New York attorney general’s office that he gave in 2017:

“During that interview, McConney addressed a number of scandals at the now-defunct Trump Foundation. And even though he was quick to defend Donald Trump himself, McConney showed a willingness to admit errors that could help prosecutors build their case now.”

McConney admitted:

“I probably didn’t know at that time that we probably shouldn’t be using foundation funds for this type of thing… we made a mistake.”

That admission was regarding the use of funds donated to a Trump-controlled charity which were used to pay some $120,000 in fines as part of a lawsuit brought by the town of Palm Beach, Florida against Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.

McConney also fessed up to wrongdoing by Trump when it came to $25,000 donated to the reelection campaign of former Florida attorney general Pam Bondi months after she decided not to open an investigation into the now-defunct Trump University. That matter led the Trump Org. controller to remark:

“We found out we made the contribution to … a political organization as opposed to a charitable organization … anything and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong, with this one request.”

One thing that becomes clear from the 2017 transcript is that McConney refuses to lie about the questionable behavior of his boss, which suggests he won’t commit perjury just because Donald Trump tells him to.

And that means that when he testified before the Manhattan grand jury, McConney was honest and answered every question truthfully, which is a terrifying prospect for the Donald and his family, all of whom run Trump Org.

Jeff McConney knows where the bodies are buried and all about the crimes his boss has allegedly been a part of. That alone should be keeping the failed, one-term, twice-impeached former president up at night.

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Crime Donald Trump The Trump Organization

Did Trump Just Hand The Case Against Him To Prosecutors On A Silver Platter?

Recently, there were multiple reports failed, one-term former President Donald Trump had just made a move with his company, the Trump Organization, that had some legal experts shaking their heads.

What did Trump do? The Washington Post reported that Allen Weisselberg, the indicted chief financial officer of Trump Org., had been stripped of his leadership role at more than 40 subsidiary companies:

“The changes were made Thursday and Friday, a week after a grand jury in Manhattan indicted Weisselberg on 15 felony counts, including grand larceny and tax fraud. Weisselberg was accused by New York prosecutors of helping run a 15-year scheme to evade income taxes by concealing executives’ salaries — including more than $1.7 million of his own income — from tax authorities. Two Trump corporate entities were indicted alongside Weisselberg.

So what exactly is Trump’s strategy when it comes to dumping Weisselberg while prosecutors are attempting to get the CFO to roll over on the Donald and testify against him?

It could be that Trump wants to reassure regulators, lenders, and other business entities that an indicted executive of the company isn’t making major decisions. But that’s far from the truth, according to The Post’s David Fahrenthold:

“A person familiar with the company who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss its internal decisionmaking told The Washington Post: ‘Allen Weisselberg’s at the company. He’s got a job. He’s going to remain at the company.'”

Weisselberg is suspected of having evaded more than $900,000 in taxes, which means he’s facing enormous financial penalties and time in prison if he’s convicted. So is it wise for Trump to be cutting him loose right now?

Who is replacing Weisselberg as head of those subsidiary companies? Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who serve as vice presidents of the family-held corporation which carries their father’s name. That increases the legal exposure for them, which could mean that their dad is planning to toss them under the bus in the future in a last-ditch effort to save himself.

No matter what the former president does from this point forward, he has already strengthened the case against him by pushing Weisselberg overboard. He’s also made it more likely that Weisselberg will agree to cooperate with prosecutors as they build their case against the Trump family.

Donald Trump has handed the case against him to prosecutors on a silver platter. All they have to do now is follow the scorched earth approach he’s taking and present his moves to the grand jury.

As he’s always been, Donald Trump is his own worst enemy, and he’s not even smart enough to realize it.

 

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Crime Donald Trump The Trump Organization

Trump Dumps Weisselberg From One Of His Companies As Prosecutors Prepare More Indictments

As prosecutors in New York continue to present evidence to a special grand jury empaneled to issue indictments in the case against former President Donald Trump and his company, the Trump Organization, we get news that Allen Weisselberg, the chief financial officer of the ex-president’s corporation, has been removed as director of a business subsidiary located in Scotland.

Business Insider reports:

“Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s chief financial officer, was terminated as the director and controller of one of former President Donald Trump’s golf courses in Scotland a week after the executive and the company were charged with tax crimes.

“A notice filed on Thursday with Companies House, the UK registry of private companies, showed that Weisselberg had been terminated as a director of Trump International Golf Club Scotland, a holding company that owns Trump’s Aberdeenshire golf resort, Trump International Golf Links.

“He was also terminated as a ‘person with significant control,’ a designation for an individual with influence over how a company is run, another notice said.”

The remaining directors of the golf club in Scotland are Eric and Donald Trump Jr., the former president’s two sons. And Don Jr. is now the “sole person with significant control.”

Why would Trump suddenly give Weisselberg the boot from the company that controls his Scottish golf club? It would seem the reason is to distance himself from Weisselberg now that he’s been indicted and is being pressed by investigators to cooperate and tell what he knows about possible crimes committed by members of the Trump family.

More indictments are certain, according to former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner, who wrote in an op-ed for MSNBC:

“There are also several indicators that more criminal charges will follow. In May, District Attorney Cy Vance convened a special, six-month grand jury to hear evidence in the Trump investigation. Ordinarily, New York grand juries sit for only four weeks. Vance’s special grand jury will continue to serve until November and it’s hard to believe that this indictment, issued at the beginning of their special six-month term, will be their only indictment. Moreover, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who has partnered with Vance in the Trump investigation, pointedly stated after the issuance of the indictment that their investigation continues.”

Clearly, Trump is running scared, and his attempt to put Weisselberg as far away from him as possible is a sure sign that he knows there’s more bad news coming soon.

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Crime Donald Trump Donald Trump Jr. Eric Trump Ivanka Trump The Trump Organization

Legal Scholar Explains Why Trump And His Children Will Be Indicted By The Fall Of This Year

The indictment of the Trump Organization by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. was a disappointment to some because it didn’t include the names of the former president or any of his three eldest children, all of whom are top executives for the company.

But just because there were no charges against any of the Trumps, that doesn’t mean they’re in the clear, according to noted legal scholar Jennifer Taub, who has carefully dissected the indictment and predicts members of the Trump family are far from in the clear.

Writing in Washington Monthly, Taub lays her cards on the table in the very first paragraph:

“Subtle hints in and surrounding this document foreshadow future legal trouble for Mr. Trump himself. With the grand jury expected to meet three times per week for much of the year, we should expect a superseding indictment by fall, one that could include other executives in the Trump Organization including the president’s sons, Donald Trump, Jr., and Eric Trump, as well as the former president himself.”

Taub also explains how she arrived at her prediction of charges being just months away and carrying the name “Trump” without “corporation” immediately following it:

“The very first overt act that seems to indicate the ex-president’s involvement was Donald Trump on behalf of the corporation entering into a lease around March 31, 2005 for an apartment in Manhattan on Riverside Boulevard (the Trump Place building). That lease had a rider that permitted only Allen Weisselberg and his wife to occupy the apartment and to use it as their primary residence.

“Why is this lease rider important? Well, it communicates that the grand jury knows that Donald Trump knew Weisselberg was living in the apartment on the company’s dime.”

In other words, there was a conspiracy. Two or more people were involved in a scheme to break the law. That makes it a conspiracy. If they even planned to commit a crime, that alone is a conspiracy. And Thursday’s indictment makes it clear that the failed, one-term for president would have known all about the tax avoidance schemes Weisselberg was charged for.

The Trump children, as top corporate officers, are also part of a criminal conspiracy, meaning they can expect to see their names emblazoned on future indictments.

All of this, Taub concludes, means that we need to sit tight and wait a while longer, because the “big fish” are about to get their share of karmic justice, too:

“It might be a huge psychological hurdle to ask the men and women of a grand jury to indict a former president. Perhaps the first step of charging his businesses will make them comfortable when they are later given evidence of Trump’s connection to the same or similar fraudulent schemes.

“Who knows for sure? But, what I am certain of is this. For Trump, the worst is yet to come.”

Remember how Weisselberg was shown being marched into the DA’s office in handcuffs yesterday? Trump was reportedly apoplectic when he saw that. Just imagine how upset he’ll be when the cuffs are on his own wrists.

 

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Crime Donald Trump WTF?!

Trump Is Reportedly ‘Thrilled’ By Trump Org. Indictment Because He Thinks It Will Hurt Biden

Failed, one-term former President Donald Trump is reportedly “thrilled” that the Trump Organization and Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg were indicted by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. because he believes the move will hurt President Joe Biden.

WTF?!

Politico reports that during a conference call with his advisers, Trump sounded delighted by the upcoming indictments:

“The former president was on a conference call with his advisers Monday discussing his favorite topic — revenge — when he was interrupted with an update on the Manhattan D.A.’s investigation. He would not be personally indicted, Trump was told — only Weisselberg and the Trump Organization would be. Trump was thrilled by what he saw as light charges, and according to one of the advisers on the call, his mind raced to 2024.

“’Just wait until 2024, you’ll see,’ Trump said. The former president implied that the legal case would be seen as a political witch hunt that would backfire on Democrats. ‘This is going to hurt Sleepy Joe.’

“The adviser had the impression that Trump, who was already coming off a high from the large crowd at his rally in Ohio last weekend, was emboldened by the news. ‘Now he’s definitely going to run for president” again,’ the person said.”

Of course, it pays to remember that this is the very same Donald Trump who thought being impeached would help him get reelected and also told advisers that his response to the COVID-19 pandemic had been exceptional.

Perhaps Trump thinks he won’t be indicted. If so, that proves the depths of his self-delusion. Someone inside the company is going to agree to testify against him, and if he filed tax returns with his signature on them, he’s screwed.

As for Trump running in 2024, that’s going to be difficult to pull off from a prison cell.