Trump Organization - The African Mirror

Nov

2023

Ivanka Trump says at NY fraud trial she doesn’t recall deal details

DONALD Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump testified that she did not recall details of real-estate deals she worked on at her father's company, in a New York civil fraud trial that threatens the former U.S. president's business empire. Like her brothers Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, who testified last week, Ivanka Trump sought to distance herself from the questionable valuation methods that have already been ruled fraudulent by the judge overseeing the trial. Trump, by contrast, has acknowledged on the witness stand that some of the estimates of golf courses, office towers and other company assets were inaccurate. The lawsuit by New…

Oct

2023

By JACK QUEEN and LUC COHEN

Donald Trump’s lawyer questions Michael Cohen’s credibility in civil fraud trial

WORLD

DONALD Trump's onetime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen faced pointed questions about his credibility from a lawyer representing his ex-boss as he testified against the former U.S. president in a civil fraud trial over his family real estate company's business practices. Cohen, who came face-to-face with Trump for the first time in five years on Tuesday, is undergoing cross-examination for his second straight day of testimony in a Manhattan courtroom. Cohen testified on Tuesday that Trump "arbitrarily" inflated the value of the Trump Organization's real estate assets to secure favourable insurance premiums. Cohen said he doctored financial statements so the property values…

Oct

2023

By JACK QUEEN and LUC COHEN

Trump reaped over $1 billion through fraud, New York says as trial starts

WORLD

A defiant Donald Trump attacked New York's attorney general and the judge overseeing his civil fraud trial as it began, with a state lawyer accusing the former president of generating more than $1 billion by lying about his real estate empire. Attorney General Letitia James is seeking at least $250 million in fines, a permanent ban against Trump and his sons Donald Jr and Eric from running businesses in New York and a five-year commercial real estate ban against Trump and the Trump Organization. Testimony in the Manhattan courtroom began following opening statements, with Donald Bender, a partner at Mazars USA and longtime…

Feb

2023

By The African Mirror

New York attorney general calls for new sanctions against Donald Trump

WORLD

JONATHAN STEMPEL NEW York's attorney general asked a judge to sanction former U.S. President Donald Trump, his adult children, the Trump Organization and their lawyers over their responses to her $250 million civil fraud lawsuit against them. The lawsuit by Attorney General Letitia James last September accused the defendants of involvement in a decade-long scheme to manipulate asset values and Trump's net worth, in order to induce banks and insurers to provide better terms. On Jan. 26, the defendants filed formal "answers" where, as often occurs in similar lawsuits, they denied or claimed to lack sufficient knowledge about dozens of…

Jan

2023

By The African Mirror

Trump executive Weisselberg prepares for jail on Rikers Island

WORLD

KAREN FREIFELD A longtime executive for Donald Trump is expected to be sent to New York's notorious Rikers Island jail after being sentenced on Tuesday for helping engineer a 15-year tax fraud scheme at the former president's real estate company. Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's former chief financial officer, pleaded guilty in August, admitting that from 2005 to 2017 he and other executives received bonuses and perks that saved the company and themselves money. Weisselberg is expected to be sentenced to five months behind bars, after paying nearly $2 million in taxes, penalties and interest and testifying at the criminal…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

Trump Organization found guilty of tax fraud scheme

WORLD

LUC COHEN and KAREN FREIFELD DONALD Trump's real estate company was convicted of carrying out a 15-year-long criminal scheme to defraud tax authorities, adding to the legal woes facing the former U.S. president as he campaigns for office again in 2024. The Trump Organization - which operates hotels, golf courses, and other real estates around the world - was found guilty of paying personal expenses for top executives including former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg, and issuing bonus checks to them as if they were independent contractors. The company faces up to $1.6 million in fines after being convicted on all…

Dec

2022

By The African Mirror

Trump lawyer pins blame on ex-CFO as criminal tax fraud trial nears end

WORLD

LUC COHEN A defence lawyer urged jurors in the criminal tax fraud trial of former President Donald Trump's real estate company to blame a greedy former senior executive and not the Trump Organization itself for any wrongdoing. Susan Necheles, representing one unit of the Trump Organization, pointed the finger at Allen Weisselberg, the company's longtime chief financial officer, in her closing argument to the 12-member jury in a New York state court in Manhattan. Other lawyers for the company will address jurors later, followed by prosecutors. Closing arguments are expected to end on Friday, with jury deliberations beginning on Monday. Necheles said…

May

2021

By The African Mirror

Trump says New York criminal probe is in ‘desperate search of a crime’

WORLD

KATANGA JOHNSON FORMER US President Donald Trump yesterday attacked New York state's attorney general for launching a criminal probe of his family business, saying he was "being unfairly attacked and abused." "There is nothing more corrupt than an investigation that is in desperate search of a crime," Trump said in a statement, adding that "we will overcome" any attempt at prosecution. The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, which has been investigating whether the New York City-based Trump Organization falsely reported property values to secure loans and obtain economic and tax benefits, said on Tuesday its probe was…