Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer. Photo: Getty Images Last night, New York’s Office of the Attorney General announced that its investigation of the Trump Organization has progressed from a civil to a criminal case. A civil case would involve something like, “We learned you’ve underpaid your taxes, and you have to pay a fine.” A criminal case investigates more serious, deliberate violations.
His likely criminal record has been discussed much less frequently, and often in fairly long, dense reported investigative stories. The best of these was a 2018 New York Times report describing Trump’s practice of creating fake shell companies to bury profits. The Times described this as “outright fraud” — fraud being a defined crime, not just an aggressive use of tax shelters or operating in legal gray areas.
Weisselberg’s compensation included what appear to be under-the-table payments to his family. The Trump Organization reportedly gave Weisselberg’s son a rent-free New York apartment, and reportedly paid his grandchildrens’ private-school tuition. The significance of these relatively small-bore violations is that they implicate Weisselberg, his son, or both in apparent tax evasion.
As president, Trump constantly threatened to lock up his political enemies, reflecting his belief that the legal system was merely a tool that he could use to punish them.
jonathanchait Meh. I am just fine with it.
jonathanchait Completely unprepared? Guess none of them bother to watch fact checked news outlets like Maddow
jonathanchait More than half the country is ready NOW. The rest will never be ready, so “fuck their feelings” and indict tfg ASAP
jonathanchait My body is ready
jonathanchait He should tell us again how we should all support Trump
jonathanchait Oh honey, I’ve been prepared since 2015.
jonathanchait The worst thing prosecutors could do is keep dragging their feet. Charge him, try him, imprison him, then let’s move on.
jonathanchait Yea it will be hard to fathom when the twice impeached election loser who seems to hang out exclusively with criminals and pedophiles is, in fact, one himself.
jonathanchait My god it'll take 5 minutes to go to the kitchen. We ready !!
jonathanchait News that he is a criminal would shock the nation
jonathanchait So they’re not going to do anything to prepare anyone.
jonathanchait Oh I’m fully prepared.
jonathanchait Americans are eager to him charged and tried and imprisoned. The sooner, the better.
jonathanchait The public has been prepared for charges to come from NY for four years now. If you didn't pay attention, that's not our concern. Chait is out of touch with reality.
jonathanchait I can think of worse things.
jonathanchait no whetting of appetite. Do it let the surprise sting and immobilize them.. Didn’t entitled Comey do something similar but unfairly with devastating effects?
jonathanchait No one is unprepared for opening Christmas presents.
jonathanchait Is there anyone at this point who would be shocked to learn that the former president has engaged in unlawful activity?
jonathanchait HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
jonathanchait Even worse would be taking your advice
jonathanchait What BS is this ..He’s been a criminal for 40 years ..not “prepared “ enough?
jonathanchait We been prepared…
jonathanchait Isn’t babying GOP feelings how we got in this mess in the first place?
jonathanchait The public has been preparing for that news for five years.
jonathanchait When this article says Americans will be shocked, it must mean those hiding in caves for half a century as Trump's multiple bankruptcies, counter lawsuits, and behaviour have been in print for decades. Also the ones that watch Fox also have Netflix, and ugly Trump is there too.
jonathanchait Somehow watching corruption unfold on a daily basis for five years isn’t preparation enough.
jonathanchait
jonathanchait The man will be senile in a nursing home and they’ll still be talking trying Trump.
jonathanchait The Dems have waited almost 5 years and GQP will never be ready
jonathanchait Hasn't the news been doing that for the past four or five years? That is if one has been paying attention.
jonathanchait I don’t need to be prepared, been ready for decades.
jonathanchait Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahah (This was supposed to be funny right?) Everyone is prepared for him to be charged for his criminal behavior.
jonathanchait Some people say?
jonathanchait jonathanchait you don’t believe that do you. Only his supporters won’t be prepared. And they never will be. Let’s get on with the business of no one is above the law.
jonathanchait Oh pleaz...we ready.
jonathanchait The public:
jonathanchait hey NYmagazine READ THE PLANET - lock the criminal family and their enablers up
jonathanchait Don't worry, sweetie, we're prepared.
jonathanchait GTFOH with this bullshit take.
jonathanchait Only unprepared if they watch right wing bullshit
Idiotic waste of time, like all Chait takes.
jonathanchait Hm. America, will you be shocked?
jonathanchait Majority of the public has been WAITING for this. We are wholly prepared.
jonathanchait Why is society ordered on the thoughts of people so stupid as to be shocked someone impeached twice is being prosecuted? The tyranny of White mediocrity.
jonathanchait
jonathanchait Unprepared?! We’ve been prepared since he rode down the escalator. Who didn’t know he is a criminal conman?
jonathanchait Show me this 'public completely unprepared for the news.'
jonathanchait We are all completely prepared
jonathanchait
jonathanchait Been waiting since the 1980s for this; come on!
jonathanchait WHO thinks we're not ready
jonathanchait No we're ready for it and been waiting for it for over 4 years.