Filenews 5 November 2021
The Manhattan Prosecutor's Office has set up a new, second special jury to examine evidence against former U.S. President Donald Trump's group and determine whether to bring new criminal charges against the Trump Agency, according to a report in The Washington Post, just a short time after a special jury voted to bring charges against the Trump Agency and its former chief financial officer in an alleged tax evasion case.
The special jury is being asked to examine how the former planetarium's company valued its assets, according to The Washington Post report.
It is not clear at present whether the actions of certain Trump Agency officials are also being put under the microscope in the new investigation, nor is it certain that the jury will rule in favour of bringing charges in the case.
However, as The Washington Post reports, the special jury began examining the evidence last week and will likely continue to meet three days a week for the next six months, according to sources familiar with the matter and cited by the Us newspaper.
The Trump Agency, for its part, did not immediately respond to Forbes' request to comment on the report.
The first criminal prosecution
However, it is recalled that in June, charges were brought against the Trump Agency and its former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, by another special jury that was investigating a 15-year tax evasion case of the former president's company, by channelling $1.7 million to the former president's company dollars of tax-free money to its executives. Both Weisselberg and Trump's company have pleaded not guilty to the tax evasion charges.
Meanwhile, the Trump Agency is reportedly facing yet another criminal investigation being conducted by the Westchester County prosecutor's office, which is investigating whether Trump's Westchester National Golf Club underestimated the value of the company in order to pay less property tax.
Trump's group is also facing potential criminal charges from the Office of the Attorney General of the state of New York. The state's Attorney General, Leticia James, is investigating the value of Trump's assets as part of a civil investigation that could result in a lawsuit being filed against the former president's group.
The trial against the Trump Organization and its chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg is expected to begin in late August or early September 2022, coinciding with the crucial campaign season ahead of the U.S. midterm elections, in which Trump himself will likely be heavily involved.
Meanwhile, last month, Trump gave a four-hour taped affidavit as part of a lawsuit by a group of Mexican protesters who claim to have been attacked outside the Trump Tower skyscraper in 2015.
Trump was charged in the case, even though he was not present during the alleged attack. Trump's former security chief, Keith Schiller, is accused of punching a protester in the face and is also accused, as is Trump's then-campaign staff.
Source: Forbes
