Former US President Donald Trump’s family real estate company has been found guilty of tax crimes.
The Trump Organization was convicted on all counts Tuesday after two days of jury deliberations in New York.
The business is synonymous with the former president, but neither Mr. Trump nor members of his family were personally sued.
Vowing to appeal the verdict, Mr Trump said he was “disappointed” and once again called the case a “witch hunt”.
The company was found guilty of enriching its top executives with off-the-books benefits for more than a decade.
Prosecutors said the tax-free perks included luxury cars and private school fees, which made up for lower salaries and therefore reduced the amount of tax the business needed to pay.
The company is expected to face fines of around $1.6m (£1.3m) and may also face difficulties in securing loans and financing in the future.
Mr Trump had previously criticized the case as politically motivated. He also attacked his longtime former chief financial executive Alan Wesselberg after he pleaded guilty in August and testified against the business.
In his latest statement, attacking the decision, the former Republican leader asked why the Trump Organization should be sued for Mr. Wesselberg’s “personal conduct” — accusing him of “fraudulent taxes on his personal tax returns.” put
“We relied on what was then a very prestigious and expensive accounting firm, and law firm, to do this work,” Mr. Trump said in a statement from his office.
“This case is unprecedented and … a continuation of the greatest political witch hunt in our country’s history,” he said, adding that New York City was now “a tough place to be a Trump.”
Prosecutors accused the Trump Organization — which operates hotels, golf courses and other properties around the world — of having a “culture of fraud and deceit” during the six-week trial.
He said he operated a scheme that allowed some executives to “reduce their compensation” so that their taxes were “significantly lower than the amounts that should have been paid.”
“The smorgasbord of benefits is designed to keep its superiors happy and loyal,” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass told the jury during closing arguments.
Two subsidiaries of the Trump Organization — Trump Corp and Trump Payroll Corp — were convicted on all 17 counts of tax fraud and falsifying business records.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg praised the verdict Tuesday, saying the case was “about greed and fraud.”
“The Trump Corporation and the Trump Payroll Corporation got away with a scheme for 13 years that lavished high-level executives with lavish perks and compensation while deliberately hiding the benefits from taxing authorities,” he said.
