Trump's companies in tax trial.

Manhattan prosecutors alleged two companies owned by Donald Trump engaged in "clear and straightforward" tax fraud as a criminal trial began in New York yesterday. Susan Hoffinger, the executive assistant district attorney in the Manhattan prosecutor’s office, described the case to jurors during opening arguments as a story of «greed and cheating» and said the evidence would show a crime that was orchestrated «at the highest levels» of the former president’s businesses. The Trump Organization’s legal entities were charged by the Manhattan district attorney last summer with what prosecutors described as a 15-year scheme in which the companies allegedly compensated senior executives with perks such as luxury cars, rent and school fees hidden from authorities. The group’s former chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, 75, pleaded guilty to hiding $1.76mn from tax authorities in August. Susan Necheles, defending one of the Trump businesses, argued yesterday that the former executive had acted alone and was individually responsible for the tax filings that failed to list his and others’ total income.

«Donald Trump did not know that Allen Weisselberg was cheating on Allen Weisselberg’s tax return,» she said.

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