NEW YORK — Closing statements are beginning Thursday in the criminal tax fraud trial of former President Donald Trump's family business, the outcome of which could turn on the vagaries and nuances of a part of New York criminal law that even the presiding judge has called"confusing."
Prosecutors plan to remind the jury about the August guilty plea of Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's former chief financial officer who testified that he arranged the illegal compensation scheme for his own benefit, concealed it from the company's outside accountant, and ended it only when Trump's ascendance to the presidency invited fresh scrutiny of the company's business practices.
But that alone may not be enough for a conviction. Judge Juan Merchan said he will allow defense attorneys to argue in their closing statements that prosecutors failed to show Weisselberg acted"in behalf of" the company. The confusing part, the judge said, is that the New York state legislators who drafted the relevant statute did not define exactly what"in behalf of" means in that context.Weisselberg testified that he paid the Trump Organization back for the free perks by reducing his reported annual salary by the total value of the perks he received -- but prosecutors pointed out that the move saved the company money by reducing its payroll taxes.
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