Trump Org indictments

[Mori Chu]

Trump Organization and CFO Allen Weisselberg arraigned on multiple criminal charges as prosecutors alleged a 15-year tax fraud scheme

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

NEW YORK — Prosecutors charged the Trump Organization with a 15-year "scheme to defraud" the government and its chief financial officer with grand larceny and tax fraud in a Manhattan courtroom on Thursday, describing what they said was a wide-ranging effort to hide income from tax authorities. .

In charging papers, prosecutors alleged that Allen Weisselberg, former president Donald Trump's longtime CFO, had avoided more than $900,000 in taxes by concealing the value of benefits he got from Trump's company — including a free apartment, free Mercedes-Benz cars, new furniture and tuition payments for his relatives.

In internal records, the Trump Organization treated these benefits as part of Weisselberg's compensation, prosecutors said. But it did not report them to taxing authorities, allowing Weisselberg and the company to avoid taxes, the documents said.

The indictment said that other, unnamed Trump Organization executives were given similar benefits. It also said that Weisselberg had orchestrated the scheme along with "others" at the company but did not name any of the others. Weisselberg was the only executive charged on Thursday.

Weisselberg, who has worked for the Trump Organization since the 1970s, pleaded not guilty during a brief arraignment hearing that began about 2:20 p.m. He walked into the courtroom in a dark suit, surrounded by detectives and court officers. He did not respond to questions from reporters in the hallway outside.

...

"To put it bluntly, this was a sweeping and audacious illegal payment scheme," Dunne said. He rejected an allegation from the Trump Organization that the charges were part of a politically motivated effort to hurt Trump: "It's not about politics," Dunne said.

Although the indictments could pose trouble for the former president, exposing his company to potential fines and intensifying pressure on Weisselberg, neither the former president nor anyone else in his firm is expected to face charges this week. Prosecutors hope Weisselberg will offer testimony against Trump in exchange for lessening his own legal risk, according to a person familiar with the case.

[Nodack]

The Trump Organization and their CFO were indicted yesterday. It’s all over the news…unless you get your news from FOX NEWS. I went there for the second straight day and there isn’t one word about it. There are dozens of anti-Democrat, anti-Minority stories everywhere but, oddly enough not a single word about it. It’s as if it never happened if they don’t report it.

[Mori Chu]

That's because Fox News is a propaganda network.

[Mori Chu]

The Atlantic has a good article on these indictments:

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archi ... le/619353/

[In2ition]

Ex-Homeland Security Inspector General Admits Stealing Info to Sell Back to Government
CROOK

Dia Gill
Breaking News Intern
Published Jan. 14, 2022 2:13PM ET
https://www.thedailybeast.com/charles-k ... nformation

A former high-ranking Department of Homeland Security official has admitted to scheming to steal personal information and software from two government agencies—and then selling it right back to them. Charles K. Edwards, the former acting Inspector General of DHS’s Office of Inspector General, pleaded guilty Friday to federal charges for conspiracy to steal government property and theft of government property. Edwards worked for the DHS from 2008 to 2013 and prior to that worked at the USPS’s Office of Inspector General. At both the DHS and USPS, Edwards had access to systems holding sensitive personal employee information and the agencies’ software systems. After leaving DHS, Edwards founded Delta Business Solutions. Prosecutors said that, from 2015 to 2017, he stole software from DHS and USPS, as well as databases with employee information, so he could develop a commercially owned version of already-existing case management systems to sell back to government agencies.


https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/form ... lty-scheme
Former Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Pleads Guilty in Scheme to Defraud the U.S. Government
Charges Involve Theft of Proprietary Software

WASHINGTON – A former Acting Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General (DHS-OIG), pleaded guilty today to federal charges stemming from the theft of proprietary software and sensitive databases from the U.S. government.

According to court documents, Charles K. Edwards, 61, of Sandy Spring, Maryland, executed a scheme to steal confidential proprietary software from the government. Edwards worked for DHS-OIG from February 2008 until December 2013, including as Acting Inspector General. Prior to DHS-OIG, he worked at the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG). At both agencies, Edwards had access to software systems, including one used for case management, and other systems holding sensitive personal identifying information of employees.

After leaving DHS, Edwards founded Delta Business Solutions, Inc., located in Maryland. From at least 2015 until 2017, he stole software from DHS-OIG, along with sensitive government databases containing personal identifying information of DHS and USPS employees, so that his company could develop a commercially owned version of a case management system to be offered for sale to government agencies.

Edwards pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to conspiracy to commit theft of government property and theft of government property. A second defendant in the case, Murali Y. Venkata, 56, of Aldie, Virginia, has pleaded not guilty to charges and his case remains pending. Edwards will be sentenced at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia, Inspector General Dr. Joseph V. Cuffari of DHS-OIG, and Inspector General Tammy Whitcomb of USPS-OPIG made the announcement.

Senior Litigation Counsel Victor R. Salgado of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia are prosecuting the case.

An indictment is merely an allegation and Venkata is presumed innocent until proven beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

[Mori Chu]

Ruh roh.

NY attorney general details possible fraud at Donald Trump's family business

NEW YORK, Jan 19 (Reuters) - New York state's attorney general has accused Donald Trump's family business of repeatedly misrepresenting the value of its assets to obtain financial benefits, citing what it said was significant new evidence of possible fraud.

The accusations by Attorney General Letitia James mark a substantial escalation of her civil probe into the Republican former U.S. president's business, the Trump Organization, and the roles of his adult children.

...

In filings late Tuesday with a New York state court in Manhattan, James described what she called misleading statements about the values of six Trump properties, as well as the "Trump Brand."

The properties are golf clubs in Aberdeen, Scotland, and suburban Westchester County near New York City, the Seven Springs Estate in Westchester, buildings on Wall Street and Park Avenue in Manhattan, and Trump's penthouse in Trump Tower.

https://www.reuters.com/business/ny-att ... 022-01-19/

[Mori Chu]

Uh oh again.

[In2ition]

Interesting. Let's see what happens with both of these. I'm curious of the results.

[Mori Chu]

Now they're talking to Ivanka. They're going after the Big Guy.

[Mori Chu]

Uh oh.

[Superbone]

That should be investigated. It's anti-American.

[In2ition]

I'm not sure where this falls, but it's a crazy story. Thought I would put it here.

[Mori Chu]

Interesting. Good news for Trump?

[Superbone]

He probably paid them off.