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THE MAGA PARTY!,,, the GOP is dead, republicans are going down with the dems,, get ready for THE MAGA PARTY lefty's
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2021-07-02 at 7:05 PM UTCCNN
Opinion: This is very bad news for Donald Trump
Opinion by Jennifer Rodgers
For months -- years, even -- legal observers have been waiting for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to conclude its investigation of Donald J. Trump and his family business with the filing of criminal charges. Finally, the wait is over. But, in part because the indictment does not charge the former President as an individual and partly because many segments of the investigation apparently continue, these charges may raise as many questions as they answer.
Thursday's charges were brought against Allen Weisselberg, the longtime chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, and against certain corporate components of the company itself, based on what is described as a 15-year scheme to evade taxes on executive and employee compensation. According to the indictment, the Trump Organization provided part of its compensation in the form of rent-free apartments, car leases, cash bonuses and private school tuition, but failed to properly account for this income, and did not pay required federal, state and local taxes on it. Weisselberg, a recipient of these benefits, allegedly also failed to pay personal taxes on this income, as part of the conspiracy.
Weisselberg and the Trump Organization pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Trump Organization further called the prosecution a political ploy, saying Weisselberg was being used as a "pawn in a scorched-earth attempt to harm the former president."
But now that this long-awaited indictment has been unsealed, what does it tell us about these charges and about the possibility of charges for additional crimes and against additional defendants?
First, the charges are more serious than prior reporting suggested. Stories in the last few days undersold the case by describing it as one about fringe benefits, of the sort rarely prosecuted. While it is true that this is a case about unreported income and the failure to pay taxes on it, its scope is greater than many expected, for a few reasons. The scheme charged is a 15-year conspiracy to evade taxes, described as involving numerous Trump Organization executives and employees, only one of whom has been charged so far.
The indictment alleges the commission of other crimes in addition to the scheme to defraud in the first degree, namely grand larceny in the second degree -- the second most serious white-collar crime available to state prosecutors in New York -- along with various charges for falsifying records. And District Attorney Cyrus Vance has alleged that defendant Weisselberg not only evaded New York State and New York City taxes, but also evaded federal taxes, increasing the potential tax loss amount significantly. (While state authorities cannot charge the federal crime of evading federal taxes directly under state law, they can use the federal loss amount in charging the intended scope of the scheme to violate state law, as they have done here). All of this means that this is a bigger case, and a bigger headache for Trump and his company, than what was first believed.
We also know from Thursday's indictment and related proceedings that, as has been previously reported, Weisselberg is not cooperating with the investigation. And, given his central role in the charged scheme and other aspects of the Trump Organization's business that are still reportedly under investigation, he almost certainly still has a chance at a cooperation deal -- and many a defendant has changed his tune when the relatively vague notion of a potential criminal case is replaced by the cold, hard, reality of being arrested, handcuffed, fingerprinted and taken to court.
But I think that Weisselberg's importance as a cooperator may not be as great as it previously seemed. Particularly given the language in the indictment pointedly describing other participants in the scheme, it appears at least possible, if not likely, that other charges will be forthcoming whether or not Weisselberg cooperates, because prosecutors either have other important witness testimony, or they can make their case using documentary evidence, or a combination of both.
One thing that was not clarified Thursday is whether the other parts of the ongoing investigations will ever result in charges. Vance, the Manhattan district attorney, and New York State Attorney General Letitia James have been investigating bank fraud and tax fraud related to inflating and deflating assets, as well as the hush money payments to adult movie actress Stormy Daniels. The indictment did not shed light on these issues.
While many unknowns persist, there is certainty on one point: as Trump's strong reaction to these developments demonstrates, Thursday's indictment is very bad news for the former president, with potentially much more bad news to come. -
2021-07-02 at 7:19 PM UTC
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2021-07-02 at 7:21 PM UTC
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2021-07-02 at 9 PM UTCMaybe we should see all of Trump's taxes.
And both sets of books. -
2021-07-02 at 9:06 PM UTC
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2021-07-02 at 9:23 PM UTCMaybe we should all see Hunter Biden and Hillary's taxes.
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2021-07-02 at 9:24 PM UTCI want to see Harry S. Truman's dental records.
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2021-07-02 at 9:25 PM UTC
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2021-07-02 at 10:32 PM UTC
Originally posted by vindicktive vinny no, leaders lead.
administrators administrate.
presidents are ellected leaders, not elected admins.
Originally posted by aldra nothing wrong with needing some degree of administrative skills, what's amusing is that they used it as grading criteria to make Obama look favourable to Trump, instead of say foreign wars started or number of US citizens assassinated
Originally posted by the man who put it in my hood Bob from middle management would really put these career politicians in their place
You all need to play Crusader Kings II. -
2021-07-02 at 10:35 PM UTCMaking
All
"Gods"
Aware that there will be a judgement day
Business Insider
How charges against the Trump Organization could cramp Donald Trump's high-flying lifestyle
jshamsian@insider.com (Jacob Shamsian)
Donald Trump wasn't charged in Thursday's indictments against his company and its CFO.
But the charges will still give him financial headaches, legal experts say.
Trump's personal finances are closely entwined with the company's, which now may hemorrhage deals.
Former President Donald Trump was not personally charged in Thursday's 15-count indictment against the Trump Organization and its CFO, but he is not out of the woods yet.
The Manhattan District Attorney's investigation is ongoing, and prosecutors still appear to be interested in Trump's personal role in possible tax fraud schemes. Cary Dunne, a prosecutor in the case, blasted Trump in court Thursday for downplaying the charges and said the alleged crimes were not "the act of a rogue or isolated employee." The indictment also said the former president personally signed checks that were under scrutiny.
While it may not be immediately evident, the 15-count indictment also is likely to hit the former president's wallet.
Trump's personal finances are closely entwined with the Trump Organization's. His high-flying lifestyle - living in his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, using his private jet, makeup and hairstyling - have all been categorized as business-related tax deductions, according to a New York Times analysis of his tax returns.
CFO Allen Weisselberg and Trump's two oldest sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, have led day-to-day operations at the Trump Organization ever since the former president relinquished some control in 2017. But Trump still holds vast power and on-paper oversight, and he remains an owner and shareholder of the company.
"If you kill the Trump Organization, basically you kill the Trump family's means of a rather extravagant high-profile and lavish lifestyle," Randy Zelin, a defense attorney at Wilk Auslander LLP and former New York state prosecutor, told Insider.
Banks may dump the company
Weisselberg and lawyers for the Trump Organization pleaded not guilty to Thursday's charges. But the company still may have an immediate problem with its lenders, according to legal experts.
Banks are highly regulated and will likely look at an indictment against a company as an excuse to back out of any deal, even if that company hasn't been convicted. The company will also have a hard time opening new bank accounts and lines of credit.
"The most initial impact on Trump himself will be financial," Anthony Capozzolo, a former prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's office and a former federal prosecutor in Brooklyn, told Insider. "One of the biggest collateral effects of a company being indicted is its banking relationships and other business relationships because, immediately, all of those companies have obligations, especially banks that are highly regulated. They are obligated to not do business with companies breaking the law."
The Trump Organization has around $600 million in debt due over the next four years, according to Bloomberg News. Zelin said it will have an even harder time finding new lenders with the reputational damage and legal headaches the indictments introduce.
"The moment the Trump Organization is charged, every bank is going to treat that as an act of default," Zelin said. "No one will lend the Trump Organization a penny. You are essentially suffocating everyone who relies on the Trump Organization for their current standard of living."
However, the bulk of the company's debt - $330 million - is owed to Deutsche Bank, which does not plan to demand immediate repayment unless the Trump Organization is convicted of bank-related fraud, according to the New York Times. Thursday's charges did not include bank fraud.
The fines upon conviction, according to New York state law, would be around double the amount of unpaid taxes. While that would be a blow, it wouldn't be enough to bankrupt the company on its own.
It's going to be harder to make new deals
In recent years, the Trump Organization hit some rough patches.
It's a private company that doesn't need to make public financial disclosures, but since it's in the hospitality industry, its hotels, golf courses, and other businesses have no doubt been ravaged by the coronavirus.
Then many corporations cut ties with the Trump Organization following the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, when a mob of pro-Trump supporters sought to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results. The company had already lost some partners following Trump calling Mexicans rapists and imposing a ban on people from Muslim-majority countries entering the US. While Trump was president, the company had also curtailed its exploration of foreign deals to limit potential conflicts of interest.
The companies still doing business with the Trump Organization may use an indictment as an excuse to back out of deals. The terms of the Trump Organization's various contracts and licenses with casinos, hotels, apartment buildings, and other businesses aren't fully known. But it's very common for companies to sever ties upon an indictment rather than waiting for a conviction, according to Rebecca Ricigliano, a regulatory enforcement lawyer at the law firm Crowell & Moring and former state and federal prosecutor.
"It's broader than bank loans or other loans and things like that. It's contractual obligations writ large," Ricigliano said. "And obviously the potential for fines, the potential for draining the books for legal fees. It costs a lot of money to mount a legal defense."
Local governments that may have contracts with the Trump Organization - in places where the company has golf courses or ongoing development deals - may also try to back out of any contracts with the company, causing more headaches, legal experts told Insider.
Staffers may run to the DA's office to save themselves
Now that the ongoing investigation has produced its first indictment, people who may be on the fence about cooperating may be more likely to take the plunge.
As Jeremy Saland, a former prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney's Office and current attorney at Crotty Saland in New York, told Insider's C. Ryan Barber and Camila DeChalus, the Trump Organization may see an exodus of staffers knocking on the DA's door.
"Not only will banks, lenders, and business associates begin to flee, the financial consequences may send employees running for lifeboats and pointing a finger at the captain to protect themselves before everyone is submerged along with the former president," Saland said.
The Trump Organization doesn't have many options to head off such an exodus, either. While CEOs typically try to cooperate with prosecutors to save their company, Trump has maintained his innocence and belittled the investigation as politically motivated.
"It's a little bit tricky because the organization is so intertwined with the individuals," Ricigliano said. "It's almost like a family business that has become bigger over the years."
Since the special grand jury in the investigation will run until November, prosecutors may still bring a superseding indictment against the Trump Organization and Weisselberg, and may bring additional charges against Trump himself.
Prosecutors are also looking into other issues, like whether the Trump Organization misrepresented property values to pay little in taxes while receiving favorable loan and insurance rates, and whether it broke financial laws by arranging a hush-money payment for Stormy Daniels. Those issues were not addressed in Thursday's indictment.
"We're just waiting for the other shoe to drop," Zelin said. -
2021-07-02 at 10:37 PM UTC
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2021-07-02 at 11:46 PM UTC"We didn't get him this time, but we bruised him, which is a major victory for chronic losers like us."
Signed: stl1 -
2021-07-03 at 12:49 AM UTCTEFLONDON!!!
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2021-07-03 at 1:08 AM UTCWhen they say "The Don" in the Mafia, they're actually referring to Donald Trump. Donald Trump has been the head of the mafia for over 50 years. He's THE actual Don.The following users say it would be alright if the author of this post didn't die in a fire!
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2021-07-03 at 1:16 AM UTC
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2021-07-03 at 1:57 AM UTCNope. Donald J Trump is the original "Don". He's the top Mob boss and always has been.
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2021-07-03 at 2:56 AM UTC
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2021-07-03 at 2:56 AM UTC
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2021-07-03 at 3:30 AM UTC
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2021-07-03 at 1:12 PM UTCTrump-appointed judge rejects US Capitol rioter's claim he was 'selectively charged' because he supports Trump
By Marshall Cohen, CNN
A Trump-appointed federal judge on Friday rejected claims from a US Capitol riot defendant that he had been "selectively charged" because he is a supporter of former President Donald Trump.
Federal Judge Trevor McFadden shot down that accusation and upheld the criminal charges against Couy Griffin, a county commissioner from New Mexico who founded the "Cowboys for Trump" group and was featured in a recent CNN documentary about the January 6 insurrection.
The judge also rejected Griffin's technical arguments about the federal trespassing statutes that the Justice Department used to prosecute him and hundreds of other riot suspects. The ruling could influence other judges who are considering similar challenges regarding the trespassing law.
In a written ruling, McFadden said Griffin "comes up short on providing the 'clear evidence' required" to demonstrate that he had been improperly charged because of his political beliefs. The judge also said there are legitimate reasons why the Justice Department would want to prosecute Griffin, even though other rioters who were near him haven't been charged yet.
"(Prosecutors) could rationally forgo federal prosecution as to most trespassers while deciding that Griffin's leadership role in the crowd, position as an elected official, and more blatant conduct at the scene merited him different treatment," McFadden wrote in his 14-page ruling.
McFadden also pushed back on an argument that Griffin had made, which has become popular in right-wing circles, that the January 6 rioters are being treated worse than the liberal protesters who were arrested on Capitol grounds during the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
"This is not a basis to dismiss the charges," McFadden wrote, though he added that he could consider Griffin's comparisons with the Kavanaugh protesters if Griffin's case reaches sentencing.
The Justice Department charged Griffin in January, before Trump left office. Prosecutors wanted to keep him in jail before trial, arguing that he is too dangerous and citing his past comments that "the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat." He was released in February. Griffin has pleaded not guilty.
On January 6, he climbed up a wall and breached the Capitol's patio, near the staging that was being prepared for President Joe Biden's inauguration. Griffin is not accused of entering the Capitol, but it's still illegal to breach the restricted area around the Capitol complex.
His "Cowboys for Trump" group landed him an appearance on Fox News and a meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. But back in New Mexico, he is facing a recall effort by activists who are incensed by his actions at the Capitol and his nonstop promotion of conspiracy theories.
In a past interview with CNN, Griffin questioned if US Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick is really dead. Sicknick died from strokes he suffered the day after defending the Capitol, where he was hit with pepper spray. Griffin also questioned former President Barack Obama's citizenship.
