Trump Organization faces sentencing for tax fraud scheme
NBCJan 03, 2023
The Facts
After being convicted last month of 17 felonies in total, two Trump organizations have been dealt a roughly $1.6M fine, with entities Trump Corp. and Trump Payroll Corp. to pay $810k and $800k, respectively.
Though Donald Trump himself wasn't convicted, his name came up dozens of times throughout the trial, mainly during the defense's examination of witnesses. Prosecutors, however, claimed Trump sanctioned the fraud, showing the jury checks he signed and a memo he initialed.
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
This case was just another attempt to undermine Trump and his organization with frivolous lawsuits. Weisselberg had already pleaded guilty and is the clear culprit behind the alleged scheme, yet the former president's opposition is quick to use this as a weapon against him. Democrats seemingly won’t stop until they’ve bled Trump dry through legal warfare.
Democratic narrative
Any attempts to separate Trump from the fraud committed by his company are naïve. While the former president may not be on trial in this particular case, there's no doubt that the businessman was fully aware of Weisselberg's — and the rest of his companies — doings. The defense had a losing case from the start.
