Black Immigrant Daily News

NEW YORK (AP) — More than three years after Manhattan prosecutors started investigating Donald Trump — after going to the Supreme Court twice to gain access to his tax records — the only criminal trial to arise from their efforts is about to begin.

No, the former president isn’t going on trial. His company is.

The Trump Organization, the holding company for Trump’s buildings, golf courses and other assets, is accused of helping some top executives avoid income taxes on compensation they got in addition to their salaries, like rent-free apartments and luxury cars.

Trump signed some of the checks at the center of the case but he is not charged with anything and is not expected to testify or attend the trial, which starts Monday with jury selection.

If convicted, the Trump Organization could be fined more than $1 million — but that’s not the only potential fallout.

Trump’s ardent supporters aren’t likely to abandon him, no matter the outcome, but a guilty verdict could hamper his company’s ability to get loans and make deals. New York City, for one, could use the legal cloud as new justification for seeking to oust the company from running a city-owned golf course.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, has said that his office’s investigation of Trump is “active and ongoing,” and that no final decision has been made on whether he could face criminal charges in the future.

Trump, a Republican, has decried the probe as a “political witch hunt.”

The Trump Organization has said it did nothing wrong and that it looks forward “to having our day in court.”

Judge Juan Manuel Merchan expects the criminal tax fraud trial, heavy on financial records and expert testimony, to take at least four weeks once a jury is seated. Given Trump’s fame as a businessman and polarizing politician, it could take a while to find jurors who feel they can judge the case impartially.

The star witness for the prosecution is expected to be Allen Weisselberg, one of Trump’s most trusted senior executives.

Weisselberg pleaded guilty in August to taking in over $1.7 million worth of untaxed perks from the company, including school tuition for his grandchildren, a Manhattan apartment and Mercedes cars for him and his wife.

His testimony comes as part of a plea agreement that requires him to serve up to five months in New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex, though he could be released after a little more than three with good behavior. The former Trump Organization chief financial officer must also pay nearly $2 million in taxes, penalties and interest and complete five years of probation.

Weisselberg, 75, has intimate knowledge of the Trump Organization’s financial dealings from nearly five decades at the company, but he is not expected to implicate Trump or any members of the Trump family in his testimony.

n pleading guilty, Weisselberg pinned blame for the scheme on himself and other top Trump Organization executives, including senior vice president and controller, Jeffrey McConney.

McConney was granted limited immunity to testify last year before a grand jury and could also make an appearance on the witness stand at the trial. The company’s director of security, Matthew Calamari Jr., the son of chief operating officer Matthew Calamari Sr., also received immunity for grand jury testimony.

When the Trump Organization and Weisselberg were indicted in 2021, prosecutors called the tax scheme “sweeping and audacious” and said it was “orchestrated by the most senior executives.”

Besides Weisselberg, two other Trump Organization executives, who were not identified by name, also received substantial under-the-table compensation, including lodging and the payment of automobile leases, the indictment said.

“The purpose of the scheme was to compensate Weisselberg and other Trump Organization executives in a manner that was ‘off the books,’” the indictment said.

The Trump Organization is the entity through which the former president manages his many ventures, including his real estate investments, his many marketing deals and his TV pursuits.

Trump’s sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, have been in charge of day-to-day operations since he became president. Because the criminal trial involves charges against the corporate entity, not any individuals, the Trumps won’t be held personally liable if a jury returns a guilty verdict.

The criminal case is one of two legal cases working their way through the New York courts that threaten to chip away at the gold-plated fa?ade of Trump’s empire.

Last month, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a civil lawsuit accusing Trump and the Trump Organization of misleading banks and others for years about the value of his assets. The civil suit seeks $250 million and a permanent ban on Trump doing business in the state.

A court hearing is scheduled in that matter for Oct. 31 as James seeks an independent monitor to oversee the Trump Organization’s activities after she alleged the company was taking steps to dodge potential penalties, such as incorporating a new entity named Trump Organization II.

Those aren’t the only legal challenges Trump faces as he weighs a potential comeback campaign for president.

Last week, Trump gave sworn deposition testimony in a lawsuit brought by magazine columnist E. Jean Carroll, who says he raped her in the mid-1990s in a department store dressing room.

Meanwhile, the FBI is continuing to investigate Trump’s storage of sensitive government documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

A special grand jury in Georgia is investigating whether Trump and others attempted to influence state election officials.

On Friday, the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 insurrection issued a subpoena to Trump.

By MICHAEL R. SISAK, Associated Press

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Black Immigrant Daily News

News

A toddler was among four killed in a car in Diego Martin on Sunday morning. The car was sprayed with bullets by gunmen. Photo by Roger Jacob

A three-year-old boy was among four people murdered in an early-morning shooting in Diego Martin on Sunday.

Around 1.20 am, Four Roads CID and Western Division Task Force responded to reports of a car being riddled with bullets at Winnie Mohammed Road, Diego Martin. Police said four occupants of the vehicle were killed and two others taken to hospital for injuries.

The deceased were identified as three-year-old Nazim Owen of La Puerta, Diego Martin; Chelsea Julien, 27, of Bagatelle, Diego Martin; Akil Keron of La Puerta Diego Martin and Marcus “Markie” Noel also of La Puerta.

The murders prompted acting CoP McDonald Jacob to issue a statement on the matter.

Jacobs offered his deepest condolences to the victims’ family and friends.

He said he intends to offer timely justice and not just condolences and counselling from the police’s Victim and Witness Support Unit.

“Yes, the crime scene investigators, forensics personnel, homicide detectives, investigators are all out there, working assiduously to find and bring in the perpetrators. If there is CCTV footage we will use it, witnesses will be interviewed, thorough investigations are under way, and, once again, I am appealing to anyone who has information that can lead to the capture and arrest of these murderers, we need you to come forward,” he said.

He also condemned the “erroneous rhetoric” of not being able to trust the police.

On October 15, Jomol Modeste, 9, was killed in a drive-by shooting while playing with friends at the Africa Recreation Grounds, Chaguanas.

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Black Immigrant Daily News

STATEMENT ON ABUSE AND VIOLENCE BY UPP SUPPORTER IN ST MARY’S SOUTH

Violence is often a tool used by the weak, feeble and corrupt-minded. The record must be corrected due to a false narrative published by those who seek to gain political mileage from the very acts they tacitly incubate and foster among their supporters.

Yesterday, we at the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party’s (ABLP) St Mary’s South Branch hosted our usual weekend buzz activity, which serves as an event to meet, greet, and socialise with the Member of Parliament and branch members.

A positive event suddenly became sullied because of a prominent supporter of the United Progressive Party (UPP) who pull up to our event while they were passing with confrontation, abuse, and physical violence.

He approached our branch, verbally abused and threatened members and constituents present, particularly the women and even assaulted me as the Parliamentary Representative.

His hate and anger then turned to a female constituent some distance away.

In his rage and anger, he rushed over to the woman and became physically violent to the extreme of severely causing damage to her head and limbs.

Egregiously and most deplorable, the UPP supporter did this in front of her children and neighbours.

Members of the community took action to bring him under control until the police arrived.

He was arrested and is now in custody, and the constituent was taken to the hospital for treatment.

From the last update, she is doing reasonably well despite the physical and mental health injuries. I will continue to provide the support needed for a swift recovery.

I, therefore, call on the UPP’s candidate, Kelvin Simon and by extension, Harold Lovell and the UPP leadership to condemn and disassociate themselves from such violent behaviour by their supporters.

Moreover, I call on my constituents, along with citizens and residents across the country, to be mindful, watchful and on guard against those who directly and indirectly associate with and encourage those who preach and act with hate, abuse, and savagery.

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LONDON (AP) — Former British Treasury chief Rishi Sunak was the frontrunner Sunday in the Conservative Party’s race to replace Liz Truss as prime minister. Sunak garnered the public support of over 100 Tory lawmakers to forge ahead of his two main rivals: former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and ex-Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt.

But widespread uncertainty remained after British media reported that Sunak held late-night talks with Johnson on Saturday. Speculation mounted that the pair could strike a deal to unite the fractured governing party after it was left reeling from Truss’ rapid downfall following Johnson’s ouster.

The Conservative Party hastily ordered a contest that aims to finalise nominations Monday and install a new prime minister — its third this year — within a week.

Sunak, 42, was runner-up after Truss in this summer’s Tory leadership race to replace Johnson after he was forced out by a string of ethics scandals. On Sunday, he confirmed he was running again in the latest leadership contest.

Sunak has the backing of at least 124 Conservative lawmakers, according to unofficial tallies compiled by British news organisations. That’s well ahead of the 100 nominations required to qualify.

“There will be integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level of the government I lead and I will work day in and day out to get the job done,” Sunak said in a statement.

Johnson, who has not yet declared if he is running, has public support from about 50 lawmakers so far, while Mordaunt had support from about 23, according to the unofficial tallies.

UK Business Secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg told the BBC on Sunday that he spoke with Johnson and “clearly he’s going to stand” after flying back to London Saturday from a vacation in the Dominican Republic.

Mordaunt and Johnson — if he confirms he is running — have until Monday afternoon to garner 100 nominations. If all three meet the threshold, lawmakers will vote to knock out one and then hold an indicative vote on the final two.

The party’s 172,000 members would then get to decide between the two finalists in an online vote. The new leader is due to be selected by Friday.

A possible return to power for Johnson, 58, who officially quit only in early September, has deeply divided the Conservatives and alarmed many others. Supporters say he is a vote winner and has enough support from lawmakers, but many critics warn that another Johnson government would be catastrophic for the party and the country.

Northern Ireland minister Steve Baker, a former backer of Johnson and an influential politician within the Conservative Party, warned a Johnson comeback would be a “guaranteed disaster.” Baker noted that Johnson still faces an investigation into whether he lied to Parliament while in office about breaking his government’s own coronavirus restrictions during parties at Downing Street.

If found guilty, Johnson could be suspended as a lawmaker.

“This isn’t the time for Boris and his style,” Baker told Sky News on Sunday. “What we can’t do is have him as prime minister in circumstances where he’s bound to implode, taking down the whole government … and we just can’t do that again.”

But Johnson won the backing of several senior Conservatives, including Nadhim Zahawi, another former Treasury chief.

“He was contrite and honest about his mistakes. He’d learned from those mistakes how he could run No 10 and the country better,” Zahawi said.

Truss quit Thursday after a turbulent 45 days, conceding that she could not deliver on her botched tax-cutting economic package, which she was forced to abandon after it sparked fury within her party and weeks of turmoil in financial markets.

Sunak, who was Treasury chief from 2020 until this summer, steered Britain’s slumping economy through the coronavirus pandemic. He quit in July in protest of Johnson’s leadership.

In the summer contest to replace Johnson, Sunak called promises by Truss and other rivals to immediately slash taxes reckless “fairy tales” and argued that climbing inflation must be controlled first.

Tory voters backed Truss over Sunak, but he was proved right when Truss’ unfunded tax-cutting package triggered chaos in the markets in September.

Dozens among Britain’s 357 Conservative lawmakers have not yet publicly declared whom they are backing to replace Truss.

By SYLVIA HUI Associated Press

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