Trump Organization Found Guilty Of Tax Fraud

Former President Donald Trump's family real estate firm was convicted Tuesday of tax evasion and other financial crimesin what prosecutors called a "culture of fraud and deception" at the Trump Organization.

What Happened: After more than a day of jury deliberation in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, the Trump Organization was found guilty on all 17 counts, including tax fraud, a scheme to defraud, conspiracyand falsifying business records, The New York Times reported.

The conviction stemmed from a long-running scheme in which the Trump Organization gave out off-the-books luxury perks to some executives.

Executives at the Trump Organization provided luxurious apartments, rented Mercedes-Benzesand paid for private school tuition for family, none of which was taxed, according to the report.

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The Manhattan district attorney's office, which was in charge of the case against two Trump Organization entities, hadobtained a guilty plea from the scheme's architect, Allen Weisselberg, the company's long-serving CFO who was dismissed by Trump Org's lawyers.

Lawyers for the Trump Organization have asserted that Weisselberg acted alone and that he bears sole responsibility.

While testifying, Weisselberg revealed that Trump's children, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., were not penalized after they discovered in 2017 that Weisselberg and other executives had been cheating on their taxes.

Trump and his children are not accused in the case, but the former president's real estate company may face fines of up to $1.6 million.

Trump has blamed the trial on a politically driven witch hunt that he said has tarnished the Trump Organization as a felonious enterprise.

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