This side-by-side photo shows former President Donald Trump, left, and the exterior of Trump Tower, where the Trump Organization is headquartered.
Former President Donald Trump, left, and the exterior of Trump Tower, where the Trump Organization is headquartered.Justin Sullivan/Getty Images, left. Nicolas Economou/Getty Images, right.
  • The lawyers for Trump rested their case on Monday.

  • The trial judge reprimanded the Trump Organization lawyers.

  • Justice Juan Merchan said the late defense filing was good old-fashioned.

The defense rested Monday in the five-week long Manhattan tax fraud trial of Donald Trump's international real-estate empire, but not before getting a tongue- lashing from the judge over an 11th-hour evidence dump.

The New York Supreme Court Justice said it was "inconsiderate" that defense lawyers had filed 18 new exhibits on the final day of the trial.

"There's simply no excuse for the introduction of a stack of journal entries, reports, and emails at the last minute," he said.

The judge warned the defense that he wouldn't accept it again as jurors and their witness waited outside the courtroom for the last day of testimony to start.

He said it was almost as if you did not want him to rule on the issue. "You don't want me to get it right, so it's almost as if you don't want me to get it right," he said angrily.

The judge said that he wouldn't allow the exhibits that the people hadn't seen to be shown.

The judge denied the defense's request to have Bender declared a hostile witness, which would have allowed them to ask more probing questions.

On Monday, the judge was skeptical of a new defense theory.

The ex-CFO and top payroll executive of the Trump Organization told the jury that they broke the law when they ran the tax- dodge scheme.

Defense lawyers told the judge on Monday that they will tell the jury that even though they broke the law, they did not know it at the time.

For the Trump Organization to be criminally liable in the payroll tax scheme, prosecutors need to prove that the two executives were involved in a scheme to avoid payroll taxes, and that they did so to benefit the company as well.

The defense will try to shift blame away from Trump and onto the high-priced accountant who should have whistled on the fraud.

Donald Trump and his three oldest children, who have all served as vice presidents, were in the dark about the 15-year payroll scheme, as well as dozens of memos, invoices, and other documents, according to defense lawyers.

The defense is expected to say that Trump was just being generous when he signed off on bonuses, raises, and tax-free perks.

The defense rested its case in the afternoon after the two sides were able to compromise on a few exhibits.

The jury was told to come back on Thursday when they would hear the first of the closing arguments.

The two sides will appear before the judge Tuesday morning to fine-tune what the judge will say to the jury just before deliberations start.

The judge has told prosecutors and the defense that he will use the state's standard jury instructions when instructing the jury on the law.

If Trump's company is found guilty of scheming and conspiring to defraud tax authorities and faking years of wage and tax statements, it will face a maximum of $1.6 million in fines.

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