Trump Organisation ‘cultivated a culture of fraud and deception’, tax case hears

Donald Trump (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Donald Trump’s company “cultivated a culture of fraud and deception” by lavishing luxury perks on executives and falsifying records to hide the compensation, a prosecutor has told jurors during closing arguments at the Trump Organisation’s criminal tax fraud trial.

Assistant Manhattan district attorney Joshua Steinglass’s fiery summing-up followed defence arguments that sought to blame the fraud on long-time company finance chief Allen Weisselberg, who has admitted scheming to avoid paying personal income taxes on a company-paid apartment, luxury cars and other goods.