Trump Organization found guilty of tax crimes after New York trial

After a trial in New York, former US President Donald Trump's family real estate company, The Trump Organization, has been found guilty of tax crimes.

After two days of jury deliberations in New York, the organisation was convicted on all counts on Tuesday (6 December).

Neither Trump nor his family members were personally on trial, though the business is synonymous with the former US president.

Vowing to appeal the verdict, Trump said he was "disappointed" and again described the case as a "witch hunt", reports BBC.

The company was convicted of enriching its top executives with off-the books benefits for more than a decade.

Untaxed perks included luxury cars and private school fees, prosecutors said, which made up for lower salaries and therefore reduced the amount of tax the business was required to pay.

The company is expected to face a fine of around $1.6m (£1.3m) and may also face difficulty in securing loans and financing in the future.

Trump previously criticised the trial as being politically motivated. He also attacked his long-serving former chief financial executive Allen Weisselberg after he pleaded guilty in August and testified against the business.

In his most recent statement, attacking the verdict, the former Republican leader asked why the Trump Organization should be prosecuted for Weisselberg's "personal conduct" - accusing him of "committing tax fraud on his personal tax returns".

"There was RELIANCE by us on a then highly respected and expensive accounting firm, and law firm, to do this work," Trump said in the statement issued by his office.

Prosecutors accused the Trump Organization - which operates hotels, golf courses and other properties around the world - of having a "culture of fraud and deception" during the six-week trial.

They said it ran a scheme that allowed some executives to "understate their compensation" so that their taxes "were significantly less than the amounts that should have been paid".

"The smorgasbord of benefits is designed to keep its top executives 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 charges of tax fraud and falsifying business records.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg praised the verdict on Tuesday, saying the case was "about greed and cheating".