Jury finds Trump Organization guilty of tax evasion

The Trump Organization, owned by former President Donald Trump, was found guilty Tuesday of carrying out a 15-year-old criminal scheme to defraud tax authorities, adding to the legal problems Trump faces after he announced he would run for president again in 2024.

The Trump Organization, which runs hotels, golf courses and other properties around the world, was found guilty of paying personal expenses to top executives, including former CFO Allen Weisselberg, and giving them bonus checks as if they were independent contractors.

The company faces up to $1.6 million in fines after being found guilty on all counts, including tax fraud, criminal conspiracy and falsification of business records. Trump himself was not charged in the case.

Judge Juan Merchan, who presided over the trial in New York state court, set his sentencing date for Jan. 13.

While the fine is not expected to be significant for a company as large as the Trump Organization, the court’s verdict could make it difficult to do business in the future.

Weisselberg, 75, testified as a key prosecution witness in a plea deal that carries a five-month prison sentence.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose office prosecuted the case, called the sentence “very fair.”

“Companies owned by the former president have now been found guilty of crimes,” Bragg said at the New York courthouse after the sentencing. He was referring to Trump Corporation and Trump Payroll Corporation, the two Trump Organization divisions against which the criminal case was brought.

Bragg added that prosecutors continue to investigate Donald Trump personally.