Prosecutors in New York are reportedly examining cash bonuses amid their investigation into the Trump Organization, as former President Donald Trump's legal team braces for potential impending charges.
Investigators have been examining whether the company failed to appropriately pay taxes on benefits, and they're also looking into cash bonuses, though "it's not clear who received the bonuses or how much they totaled," CNN reported Wednesday. Criminal defense attorney Jeremy Saland explained to CNN that making a tax evasion case stemming from cash bonuses could be difficult due to a likely lack of records, but he explained this could be part of a case establishing a pattern of behavior.
"If it's large enough, it bolsters their case," Saland told CNN. "If it's insignificant, I don't know that I'd go down that road so much, because how are you corroborating that there was this cash transaction? … If it's overwhelming and you have good evidence of it, then it's consistent with [the] theory [of the company playing] fast and loose."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Lawyers for the Trump Organization on Monday reportedly met with prosecutors to argue the company shouldn't face criminal charges, and the former president contends the probe is focusing on "things that are standard practice throughout the U.S. business community, and in no way a crime." Trump's legal team is expecting that criminal charges will be brought against the company "in the coming days," though they're not expecting charges against Trump himself, CBS News reports.
"They didn't use the word 'fringe benefits' or anything like that," Trump attorney Ronald Fischetti told CBS, "but they alleged improper benefits that were conferred on some of the high-ranking individuals in the Trump Organization."
-
What happens to a Democratic Party without Nancy Pelosi?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The storied former speaker of the House is set to retire, leaving congressional Democrats a complicated legacy and an uncertain future
-
The plant-based portfolio diet focuses on heart healthThe Explainer Its guidelines are flexible and vegan-friendly
-
Gregory Bovino: the officer leading Border Patrol’s aggressive tacticsIn the Spotlight He has been referred to as the Border Patrol’s ‘commander-at-large’
-
‘This is where adaptation enters’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Trump ordered to fully fund SNAPSpeed Read The Justice Department is appealing the decision
-
Trump tariffs face stiff scrutiny at Supreme CourtSpeed Read Even some of the Court’s conservative justices appeared skeptical
-
The longest US government shutdown in historyThe Explainer Federal employees and low-income households have been particularly affected by ‘partisan standoffs’ in Washington
-
Democrats seek 2026 inspiration from special election routsIN THE SPOTLIGHT High-profile wins are helping a party demoralized by Trump’s reelection regain momentum
-
‘Not all news is bad’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
A most profitable presidencyfeature Donald Trump has added $3 billion to his wealth since returning to the White House. How?
-
Has Zohran Mamdani shown the Democrats how to win again?Today’s Big Question New York City mayoral election touted as victory for left-wing populists but moderate centrist wins elsewhere present more complex path for Democratic Party
