Criminal trial against Trump Organization on tax fraud starts in New York

The jury in the criminal trial against the Trump Organization started to hear opening statements Monday on a 15-year tax fraud scheme from the plaintiff and the defendant in the Supreme Court of the northeastern U.S. state of New York.

The Trump Corporation and Trump Payroll Corp., two entities under the Trump Organization, offered 1.76 million U.S. dollars of perks to Allen H. Weisselberg, former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, without paying taxes, according to the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

While prosecutors tried to convict the Trump Organization on its conspiracy role in the case, lawyers from the Trump Organization said that Weisselberg was the man to be blamed but not his then employer, the Trump Organization.

The trial is expected to last over a month and the Trump Organization could be penalized if it's found guilty.

Weisselberg received a rent-free apartment, expensive cars, private school tuition for his grandchildren and new furniture from 2005 to 2018 while avoiding paying taxes, said an earlier statement from the Manhattan District Attorney's Office.

In August, Weisselberg himself pleaded guilty to all 15 charges in the tax fraud and agreed to testify in the trial against the Trump Organization.

Weisselberg would receive a sentence of five months in jail and five years' probation if he testifies truthfully in the trial against the Trump Organization.

Former U.S. President Donald J. Trump was not indicted in the trial, and he is not expected to testify.

Trump and his children, nevertheless, were sued in another case brought up by New York Attorney General Letitia James over the alleged practice of altering asset values to obtain better loan and insurance rates.