The New York court set October 2, 2023, 13 months before the 2024 presidential election, for the civil trial of Donald Trump and three of his children, accused of fraudulent tax practices within the Trump Organization.
In this case, the attorney general of the state of New York, Letitia James, accuses the Republican billionaire and his children of having “deliberately” manipulated the valuations of the group’s assets, which include golf clubs, luxury hotels and other properties. to get better loans from banks or to reduce taxes.
His children also involved
It claims 250 million dollars in damages on behalf of the State, as well as prohibitions from operating companies for the former president and his relatives. Also in the crosshairs are three children of the former president, Donald Trump Jr, Eric Trump and Ivanka Trump.
New York State Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron on Tuesday set a trial schedule from December 2022 to Oct. 2, 2023, when the trial begins.
Donald Trump, who officially announced last week that he is a 2024 presidential candidate, is the subject of several legal proceedings but has not yet been charged.
Three days after this declaration of candidacy, Justice Minister Merrick Garland had announced the appointment of a special prosecutor, Jack Smith, to take charge of two ongoing investigations by US justice: one on Donald Trump’s efforts to change the results of the 2020 presidential election, the other on the management of the White House files.
tax returns
This special prosecutor will be in charge of deciding whether to charge Donald Trump in one of these two cases, but it will be up to the minister to decide.
The former president (2017-2021) emerged weakened from the November midterm elections, after less good results than expected for the Republicans and several defeats of candidates he supported, while one of his rivals aspires to a primary for his party, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was triumphantly re-elected.
On Tuesday, the US Supreme Court also authorized the transfer of the former president’s tax returns, rejecting a final appeal by Donald Trump. A commission of the House of Representatives, in the hands of the Democrats until January, has been demanding for three years the documents transmitted to the Treasury by the billionaire between 2015 and 2020.
But unlike every White House occupant since the 1970s, Donald Trump has consistently refused to release his tax returns and fought fiercely in court to block Congress’s request.
The lack of transparency of Donald Trump, who has made his wealth a campaign argument, has fueled speculation for years about the extent of his fortune or possible conflicts of interest.
However, it is not certain that the transfer of his fiscal files to Congress will lift the veil on the affairs of the septuagenarian. The commission, which requested these tax returns to develop ethical rules on the affairs of presidents, is not supposed to make them public. In January, the Republicans will regain control of the House of Representatives and will probably leave that position.
Source: BFM TV
