NEW YORK — The Trump Organization trial began in Manhattan on Monday, beginning a multi-week process in which prosecutors and lawyers for the former president’s family’s real estate business probed New Yorkers for political bias.
Judge Juan Merchan estimates that it will take at least two weeks to appoint 12 unbiased New Yorkers to the jury. He expects the trial to last him five to six weeks.
The Trump Organization and Trump Payroll Corporation have pleaded not guilty to numerous criminal tax fraud and conspiracy charges. Prosecutors say the company ran a 15-year “off-the-books” tax evasion scheme that hid millions of dollars in taxable income from authorities.
The firm told Marchan last month that the help of longtime money man Allen Weisselberg forced its lawyers to rethink their entire defense strategy, but it could not postpone the trial.
The veteran chief financial officer, who once described himself as Donald Trump’s “eyes and ears” from an economic standpoint, pleaded guilty to 15 felonies on Aug. 18.
His plea bargain requires him to testify in court about colluding with Trump Organization executives to deceive officials by underreporting taxable income in exchange for five months of Rikers. .
So far, Trump has shown sympathy for Weisselberg, who he says is a victim of a Democratic-led conspiracy to prevent him from regaining power.
Last month, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a $250 million lawsuit against the company after years of civil investigation into its business practices.
James’ lawsuit accuses Trump and company executives of manipulating the value of assets into the hundreds of millions of dollars.
It states that Trump habitually exaggerates his personal net worth by “billions”.
If found guilty, the Trump entity faces serious financial penalties.
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