Trump Had Losses of $900 Million in Two Years, Jury Told

An accountant who worked on the tax returns of some Trump Organization executives told a jury that Donald Trump reported a total of about $900 million in operating losses over the course of two years.

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Donald Bender was the first witness in the tax fraud trial of two of the former president's companies.

During cross-examination, Susan Hoffinger asked if he remembered Trump reporting losses in the past.

She asked, "Do you remember when Donald Trump had so much trouble?"

The man said yes.

She wanted to know if Donald Trump had lost $700 million in 2009.

That sounds correct to me.

Trump said he would fight the tax fraud charges against his firms.

The New York Times has previously reported that Trump suffered business losses, but this was the first public confirmation from a professional who saw or helped prepare Trump's taxes.

Hoffinger asked if he prepared Donald Trump's taxes for free. The accountant said no.

He raised his hands over his head and said that it was a big return.

More than $1 million in annual bonuses was paid out from various Trump-owned entities to executives like Weisselberg, claims Hoffinger.

If he had seen them at the time they were prepared, what would he have said?

He said he would have had a heart attack. They were reducing their income by these amounts.

If you had been given these spreadsheets, what would you have done? Hoffinger wanted to know.

He said that Mazars would have had a serious discussion with the client.

The defense wanted to show that the companies were not protected from Weisselberg's tax fraud. Hoffinger tried to show that the CFO got a rent-free apartment as well as luxury cars when he was kept in the dark.

The due diligence was done according to the man. I wasn't accepting him without thinking. He said it was correct. He said that they expected him to be honest.

The trial is not going on for a while. He is testifying Monday.

Weissleberg was a witness for the prosecution during the trial. He wants a sentence of 100 days in jail rather than 15 years in prison.

There is a case in the New York State Supreme Court.

The testimony begins in the eleventh paragraph.

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