
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The indictment against the Trump Organization and its Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg rests primarily on the failure to pay taxes on what has long been called &#8220;fringe benefits.&#8221;</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The anti-Trump media is fast to say that the facts are clear. ; But maybe not so. ; They even claim that such fringe benefits are rare &#8212; and that recipients routinely pay taxes based on the value of the benefits when they are received. That is simply untrue on both counts. ; Fringe benefits are VERY common &#8212; and rarely do those who benefit pay taxes on them.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And it is almost impossible to find cases like this in which prosecutors seek CRIMINAL indictments. Where cases are prosecuted, they are usually civil matters &#8212; resulting in fines.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Many media pundits and guest media prosecutors conjectured that Trump is being singled out because he ran for President &#8212; and served as President. ; Guys like MSNBC&#8217;s Larry O&#8217;Donnell claim to have predicted that increased scrutiny would lead Trump into legal hot water. ; Of course, O&#8217;Donnell showed no evidence of his proclaimed prescience.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">They proffer that argument as if it is appropriate &#8212; as if it is okay to single out one individual solely because of the person&#8217;s prominence, while overlooking literally billions of dollars in unpaid taxes by innumerable other Americans receiving fringe benefits.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-businesses-routinely-provide-cars-to-employees-housing-is-also-a-common-perk-if-you-think-not-consider-this">Businesses routinely provide cars to employees. ; Housing is also a common perk. ; If you think not, consider this …</h5>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Based on the indictment against Weisselberg and the Trump Organization, I would suggest that prosecutors across the country start investigating those college and university presidents who are provided with luxurious on-campus mansions. I seriously doubt that they are paying taxes on the rental market value of those residences.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Various governments offer similar fringe benefits &#8212; such as cars and housing. ; Most states have a mansion as the official residence for their governors. ; They are also provided with cars, servants and, free meals every day for spouses and children. ; Are they paying the taxes on those freebies? ; Methinks not.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Has anyone checked New York Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s tax returns to see if he is paying taxes for the use of Gracie Mansion? ; I could be wrong, but I am betting &#8230; not. ; The rental value of that property could be several thousands of dollars every month. If it had a VERY conservative rental value of $3000 per month &#8212; or $36,000 per year &#8212; that comes to $288,000 for the eight years DeBlasio and his wife resided there.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And what about the soldiers who live on military bases and get their meals in the mess hall. ; How about all those ministers and priests who are provided free housing at the rectory &#8212; or nuns at a convent? I know that may sound a bit ridiculous, but hey &#8230; if no one is above the law &#8230;???</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-millions-of-average-working-americans-get-fringe-benefits">Millions of average working Americans get fringe benefits. </h5>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the days I worked for Illinois Bell, I got a 20 percent discount on my phone bill. And they never even suggested that I pay taxes on that saving. Workers in retail outlets are often able to purchase goods at discount.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In my small consulting business, we routinely provided meals &#8212; including breakfast, lunch and dinner, depending on the hours of work on any given day. ; In a couple instances, we even provided housing.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But in the Weisselberg case, they claim that the benefits were part of his overall compensation &#8212; and therefore he should pay taxes on them. Fringe benefits are ALWAYS part of a person’s compensation. They are often negotiated.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There is one area, however, in which I do believe Weisselberg. And the Trump Organization may have exceeded legitimate fringe benefits &#8212; and that is paying the tuition of Weisselberg’ s grandchildren &#8212; but even that has a curious nuance.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The children in question are the offspring of Weisselberg’ s ex-daughter-in-law, Jennifer Weisselberg. ; If you have been following the news, you know that she is on a hate campaign against Weissleberg, the Trump Organization and Trump, himself. ; She appears regularly to accuse her ex-father-in-law and Trump of all manner of business misdeeds.</p>



<h5 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-curious-to-me-is-why-she-has-not-been-indicted-for-accepting-the-gifts-without-paying-the-taxes">What is curious to me is why she has not been indicted for accepting the &#8220;gifts&#8221; without paying the taxes. </h5>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As the parent of the children, SHE has received the benefit by not having to cough up the money for tuition. It is usually the person receiving such a compensation who is required to pay the taxes. If her ex-father-in-law is a crook, so is she.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I was never prepared to be surprised if Trump or his company was charged with breaking the law. ; After all, he is a New York developer where the environment is both political and corrupt, to some measure. ; I honestly believe that if New York District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr. had thrown a dart into a list of Big Apple developers and commenced an investigation, he would find crimes.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But so far, I think Vance is abusing prosecutorial discretion with the Trump Organization indictment. I could see some civil charges and a few fines &#8212; that is normally the way these things are resolved &#8212; but making it akin to a criminal offense in the courts and Class-A Capital Felony Offense in the court-of-public opinion is a bridge too far. That is what makes the whole thing smell political.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The Weisselberg/Trump Organization defense may shed the spotlight on all those receiving similar fringe benefits. ; That would be a can with a lot of worms.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, there &#8217;tis.</p>

Trump Organization Indictment Opens a HUGE Can of Worms
