A prosecutor argued Friday that former President Donald Trump was aware of the tax fraud scheme at the center of the criminal trial.
The closing arguments in the trial of the Trump Corporation and Trump Payroll Corporation were made by the Manhattan assistant district attorney. He suggested that Trump could be indicted as an unindicted co-conspirator.
The trial that began in late October appeared headed to a conclusion next week after Steinglass mentioned Trump during his closing argument.
"It's not possible to change jurors' minds," said Michael van der Veen.
The request was denied by the acting Manhattan supreme court justice. He agreed to give final instructions to the jury when they return to court Monday for the start of deliberations.
Depending on the judge's instruction, the argument from the prosecution could lead jurors to question whether someone higher in the Trump businesses was involved in the alleged tax fraud. Prosecutors argue that the alleged scheme kept executives happy.
New York state law requires prosecutors to find that a corporation has committed a crime in order to get a conviction.
Donald Trump, who is running for president for the third time, has not appeared in the courtroom during the trial. He was critical of the prosecution last week. As he seeks to return to the Oval Office, the former president is facing a lot of legal challenges.
The Steinglass assertions were characterized as "grandstanding" by the defense attorney.
She said that Weisselberg testified that he hid his efforts to evade personal income taxes from President Trump and the Trump family and that he acted solely for his own personal gain.
He testified that the president trusted him to do things correctly and that he never told him about how he was reporting items on his tax returns.
The end of evidence presentation and arguments in the trial was marked by angry accusations between the prosecution and defense.
The Trump firms are accused of doling out off-the-books perks, including company-paid Manhattan rental apartments, leased luxury cars and untaxed.
The fireworks began as Steinglass began his closing argument. The prosecutor said that Donald Trump was aware of what was happening.
In an August agreement with prosecutors, Weisselberg pleaded guilty to 15 crimes and was sentenced to 100 days in jail. He agreed to tell the truth at the trial of the Trump companies.
Steinglass pointed to evidence that showed Trump wanted Weisselberg to move to New York. The prosecutor said that a special meeting of the Trump Corporation authorized Trump to sign a lease on the apartment for Weisselberg and his wife.
As the prosecutor spoke, a slide of the lease's final page with Trump's signature could be seen on a monitor in the courtroom.
Matthew Calamari, the chief operating officer of Trump's business world, has been deemed an unindicted conspirator in the case. There was a lease that showed Trump's approval.
The prosecutor told the jury that Trump approved luxury auto leases for Weisselberg's wife even though he knew she wasn't a company employee.
Weisselberg didn't report the value of the apartment, car leases for his wife and similar auto lease for himself on his tax returns.
Evidence showed that Trump approved company executives' bonuses. The evidence showed that many of the payments to Weisselberg and others came in the form of untaxed disbursements to independent contractors.
Steinglass disagreed with the defense narrative that Donald Trump was unaware. The evidence rebutted the defense's argument that Weisselberg and Jeffrey McConney had gone rogue by orchestrating the alleged tax evasion scheme and concealing it from other company officials.
The defense moved for a mis trial.
Trump was made an unindicted co-conspirator by him. He put a bias on the jury and it can't be undone.
Steinglass said that he could be a co conspirator. It doesn't matter that he is Donald Trump. He is the CEO of these companies.
The trial judge said that declaring a mis trial was not even a thought.
The trial judge will give instructions to the jury on New York state laws when they return on Monday.
The New York law that establishes when corporations can be found guilty of committing crimes is expected to be explained in those instructions.
A high managerial agent acting within the scope of his employment and for the corporation is covered by the law.
Prosecutors have argued that that could be Weisselberg. Steinglass' assertion this week that the "high managerial agent" in the Trump Organization could be someone even higher could cause some jurors to question if that's true.
The phrase "in benefit" will have to be wrestled with by jurors.
The trial judge said that the prosecution had to show that there was some intent to benefit the corporation.
"You can't overstate what that intent was."
The special master review of records was overturned by the appeals court.
The criminal tax fraud trial of two Trump companies is nearing a close.
The star witness is Allen Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump Organization.
The article originally appeared on USA TODAY.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
