Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance charged the Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer, Allen Weisselberg, for a 15 year tax fraud scheme.
The indictment read:
"During the operation of the scheme, the defendants arranged for Weisselberg to receive indirect employee compensation from the Trump Organization in the approximate amount of $1.76 million ... in ways that enabled the corporate defendants to avoid reporting it to the tax authorities."
At a rally this past weekend in Sarasota, Florida, Trump acknowledged the charges against his organization and even appeared to admit to them.
Watch below.
"You didn’t pay tax on the car or a company apartment...you didn’t pay tax, or education for your grandchildren — I… https://t.co/LYEc6NWGMT— Andrew Feinberg (@Andrew Feinberg) 1625361189.0
Trump told supporters:
"[New York officials] go after good, hardworking people for not paying taxes on a company car. 'You didn't pay tax on the car or a company apartment! You used an apartment because you need an apartment cause you have to travel to far where your house is. You didn't pay tax.' Or education for your grandchildren, I don't even know."
In another interview, Trump's son—and a top executive at the Trump Organization, Donald Trump Jr., also appeared to acknowledge the legitimacy of the charges against Weisselberg.
UPDATE: Don Jr is also making admissions and implicating his dad: "They say he didn't pay taxes on $1.7 million over 16 years, that's the New York state 8% of that, $136,000. Half of that was because my father paid for his grandchildren's school..." pic.twitter.com/2rOtUASB5P
— Andrew Feinberg (@AndrewFeinberg) July 4, 2021
Don Jr. told Fox News' Dan Bongino:
"They dressed up the indictment, obviously. They dress it up. They make it look very serious. They say he didn't pay taxes on $1.7 million over 16 years, that's, to New York state, 8% of that, $136,000. Half of that was because my father paid for his grandchildren's school in New York City, so you take that out. It amounts to about five grand a month."
People were pretty sure the former President confessed to the crimes.
Somewhere, a defense lawyer is beating his head into a brick wall, over and over https://t.co/VfoIEWpsTh— Joyce Alene (@Joyce Alene) 1625362618.0
Keep talking https://t.co/X3G1E5Mn3o— Citizens for Ethics (@Citizens for Ethics) 1625362306.0
Allen Weisselberg’s attorneys right now: https://t.co/YmteRm8g1l https://t.co/GtjBffFS9l— Jon Cryer (@Jon Cryer) 1625366616.0
Yes, this is evidence https://t.co/MReCd6vN6D— Hussein Ibish (@Hussein Ibish) 1625408319.0
Others think a greater strategy could be at play.
This was an intentional legal strategy to combat the prior statements about how well he knows the tax code. There i… https://t.co/N3zRTAysBA— Daniel Goldman (@Daniel Goldman) 1625391787.0
One of Trump’s tricks is to basically openly confess to crimes…it Jedi mind-tricks his followers into believing tha… https://t.co/asHhQ29wvy— Asha Rangappa (@Asha Rangappa) 1625365511.0
The argument is: of course he didn’t pay taxes, but people like us aren’t supposed to! https://t.co/tfTAg2vDvQ— Chris Hayes (@Chris Hayes) 1625362886.0
They didn't take kindly to Trump Jr.'s defense of Weisselberg either.
Don Jr's talking point here is If you don't count one-half the illegal things that Weisselberg allegedly did, the… https://t.co/4ic3ypSD9K— David Frum (@David Frum) 1625367042.0
Trying to normalize it but it ain't normal, man https://t.co/elOJwuGGNc— Theresa 👩🍳 (@Theresa 👩🍳) 1625368475.0
Jr has no idea how much money 5 grand a month is to some people. https://t.co/yWNo5Mns8M— Imaginary GH Fan (@Imaginary GH Fan) 1625367802.0
At this time, no member of the Trump family has been charged.