As his old friend and CFO Alan Weisselberg marched into court in handcuffs, Donald Trump sang his old, tired tune of a Democrat witch hunt and far-left conspiracy being waged against him. However, the truth is, he is a chronic, documented liar and cheat. Former associates and friends, mostly Republicans, have come forth over the past four years to reveal his lies, scams, and frauds in business and his dealings. He has screwed so many people over financially it is a miracle he has any resources for loans and acquisitions. His financial records show he is in over $590,000,000 debt and his businesses have gone bankrupt 6 times.
In recent years, the protection of the presidency has enabled him to avoid criminal accountability. His famous legal tactics have impeded court proceedings against him from advancing. However, with today’s indictment of his organization and CFO Weisselberg, Trump has added the label of ” criminally indicted corporation” to his company’s name and consequences for his corruption are only beginning.
The charges focus on Weisselberg and the Trump Organization, not Trump or his kids. However, charges for the suspected crimes committed by the Trump family of bank, tax, and insurance fraud continue to be investigated. The Washington Post reports the indicted crimes “centered on the Trump Organization and its executives not paying taxes on their full compensation.” Weisselberg is estimated to have avoided paying taxes on approx. $900,000 of reportable compensation.” The documents obtained by New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance and State Attorney General Leticia James named apartments, cars, holiday gifts, and tuition as forms of compensation given to executives that were found not to be reported on their taxes. However, on a separate ledger, the value of these compensations was reported by the Trump Organization as deductions on the company tax returns.
Legal experts say these tax crimes are serious. It is blatant stealing from the US government. Weisselberg is charged with 15 felonies including grand larceny, criminal tax fraud, and falsifying business records. The post noted that potential charges directed at Trump for the 2016 campaign hush-money payments to Stormy Daniels and incidents of misleading lenders and tax authorities about the values of his properties continue to be investigated by prosecutors in New York. The recent indictments against The Trump Organization and Weisselberg are considered to be the beginning, not the end of criminal indictments potentially facing Trump, Don Jr, Ivanka, Eric, and other associates of the crumbling Trump empire.
Before the tax fraud indictments this week, there were signs the Trump brand’s value was diminishing internationally. Owners of properties managed by The Trump Organization have been breaking ties with the brand and ripping the letters that spell out TRUMP off of their buildings. The deterioration of the Trump name has been occurring since Trump’s scandal riddled presidency.
Trump remains relevant, despite his ” stolen election scam” for five reasons:
- a power-hungry, corrupt Republican party
- Trump’s pathological, cult presence in American politics
- white identity fear
- Racism
- malignant party partisanship
Will patriotic, anti-Trump Republicans dare to split from the Trump-Republican party and form a new party despite the risk that it might hand Democrats election wins in the short-term? It may be the only way to guarantee the stopping of the Trumpism movement which is aggressively redefining the American democracy into an autocratic government. The size of Trump’s following is a dangerous sign that racism and the cult of personality might be strong enough to do it.
Supporting the Democrat’s efforts to win state elections and to retain control of Congress is how the American people can save democracy and end the reign of the cancerous Donald Trump and his assault on democracy.
