Trump taxes likely going to Manhattan D.A., but maybe few others
LBKM's John Moscow spoke with David Yaffe-Bellany and Greg Farrell at Accounting Today on the ramifications of the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on President Trump's tax returns.
Even if New York prosecutors conclude that the returns contain evidence of a crime, it’s unlikely any of the materials would be ready for public disclosure before the election, less than four months from now.
John Moscow, a former prosecutor who oversaw major white-collar investigations at the Manhattan district attorney’s office, pointed out that the grand jury process has been delayed for months due to the coronavirus pandemic, likely creating a backlog of violent crime cases. “The chances of an indictment before January would, to me, appear to be slim,” he said.
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In New York, falsifying business records can only be considered a felony if it’s done to conceal illegal activity, like tax fraud. That may be what Vance is driving at, said Moscow.
“If in fact the Trump Organization took business deductions for that kind of stuff, then the DA in Manhattan has a criminal case,” Moscow said. “If the company takes a $420,000 deduction for that payment, they’re paying less to the city and to the state, which are subsidizing people to keep them quiet about their dealings with Donald.”