A jury in Manhattan was set to begin deliberations Monday in the tax fraud case surrounding the Trump Organization, the former President’s real estate company.
The jurors were handed the case following four weeks of testimony and arguments about executive pay practices at the company, which the Manhattan District Attorney’s office has asserted amounted to a years-long criminal scheme.
The prosecutors have charged the Trump Organization with unlawfully awarding executive perks over a span of 15 years without telling tax authorities, and with falsely reporting bonuses as non-employee compensation.
Defense attorneys for the Trump Organization have pinned the blame for any wrongdoing on the company’s former Chief Financial Officer, Allen Weisselberg, who pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution.
Former President Trump, who last month announced he was running for reelection in 2024, has not been charged. He has denied any wrongdoing and said he is being targeted because of politics.
The company could face $1.6 million in fines if convicted.