New York, US: The New York jury has found the real estate company of former US President Mr. Donald Trump as guilty of tax crimes. The Trump Organization was found guilty on all charges after two days of jury deliberations in New York.

The conviction on all 17 counts, after more than a day of jury deliberations in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, stemmed from the company’s practice of giving off-the-books perks to officials. The executives were given luxury apartments, leased Mercedes-Benzes, extra cash at Christmas, and even free cable television. No taxes were paid on any of it.

According to the prosecutors, untaxed benefits included private school tuition and expensive automobiles, which compensated for lower salaries and decreased the amount of tax the company was obligated to pay.

The organisation is expected to pay a fine of about $1.6 million (£1.3m) and may also face difficulty in taking loans and financing in the future.

The Manhattan district attorney, Mr. Alvin Bragg, stated that, “We got to see the inner workings of the Trump Organization, the greed, the lies, the cheating.”

During the six-week trial, the prosecution alleged that the Trump Organization, which operates hotels, golf courses, and other assets globally, has a “culture of fraud and deception.”

Prosecutor Mr. Joshua Steinglass remarked during his closing arguments that “the smorgasbord of benefits is designed to keep its top executives happy and loyal.”

Mr. Trump expressed that he was “disappointed” by vowing to appeal the verdict and again called the case as a “witch hunt”.

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