An accountant who worked on several Trump Organization executives’ tax returns testified before a jury that Donald Trump declared operating losses totaling roughly $900 million for two years.
The first defense witness in the tax fraud trial of two former president’s firms, Trump Payroll Corp. and Trump Corp., was Donald Bender of Mazars USA LLP, who for years prepared Trump’s tax returns and returns for former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. Trump wasn’t put on trial.
The prosecution was cross-examining Bender as the trial in state court in Manhattan entered its fourth week. Susan Hoffinger asked Bender if he remembered Trump claiming losses in some years.
Do you remember that Donald Trump lost close to $200 million in 2010? she questioned.
Yes, Bender answered.
And did Donald Trump lose over $700 million in 2009? She questioned.
Bender remarked, “That seems about right.
When the DA accused Trump’s companies of tax fraud, he advised fighting the charges.
Trump reportedly experienced economic losses, but Bender’s testimony was the first time a professional who saw or assisted in preparing Trump’s tax returns publicly confirmed as much.
Hoffinger inquired as to whether Bender provided free tax preparation for Donald Trump. The accountant shook his head and scoffed in amusement. , stating, “No.”
He raised his hands about three feet over his head and remarked, “It was a large return, a really big return; it’s like this high.”
In a series of spreadsheets maintained by the Trump organizations, Hoffinger showed Bender payments totaling more than $1 million per year in incentives made to executives like Weisselberg despite their representation as independent contractors. Bender claimed that when prosecutors handed him those records last year, it was the first time he had seen them.
Hoffinger questioned Bender about how he would have responded if he had seen them when they were getting ready.
Bender admitted, “I probably would have suffered a heart attack.” “If they were cutting their revenue by these sums, I would be pretty concerned.”
What actions would you have taken if you had known about or been given access to these spreadsheets? Said Hoffinger.
He responded that Mazars “would have had a really serious chat with the client.”
Defense attorneys aimed to emphasize that Bender, who served as the business’s the outside accountant for over 35 years, failed to protect the companies from Weisselberg’s tax fraud. However, throughout her interrogation, Hoffinger tried to demonstrate that Weisselberg kept the accountant in the dark about matters such as the CFO receiving a rent-free apartment and expensive cars.
Bender claimed, “We took the necessary steps. “I wasn’t just taking him on faith. He deemed it suitable. He said, “We expected him to be honest and to live up to the deal.
Thanksgiving break has caused the trial to be suspended. Monday is the second day of Bender’s testimony.
Weissleberg, who has admitted guilt to allegations of tax fraud, gave testimony earlier in the trial for the prosecution. He expressed to the jury his desire for a less severe sentence—perhaps just 100 days behind bars—instead of the maximum of 15 years.
People v. Trump Organization, 01473-2021, New York State Supreme Court is the case number (Manhattan).
