Donald Trump is probably not on trial, however the enterprise empire he created is.
A legal trial kicked off Monday in opposition to the Trump Group in Manhattan Supreme Court docket, as prosecutors detailed how “greed and dishonest” drove a 15-year scheme to keep away from taxes.
The previous president’s identify was talked about time and again as prosecutor Susan Hoffinger delivered her opening assertion: Trump personally paid personal faculty tuition for the grandchildren of firm CFO Allen Weisselberg — certainly one of many examples of off-the-books compensation Weisselberg and the corporate didn’t pay taxes on.
Trump signed the lease for Weisselberg’s residence overlooking the Hudson River on Riverside Drive, she mentioned. Weisselberg reported on to Trump for 35 years, and was so trusted that he was named a trustee to supervise the president’s belongings whereas he was within the White Home. And it was solely when Trump grew to become president that the fraud got here to an finish, as the corporate regarded to scrub up its act out of concern for elevated scrutiny.
“This case is about greed and dishonest, dishonest on taxes,” Hoffinger mentioned, as Manhattan District Lawyer Alvin Bragg regarded on. She promised the jury that Weisselberg would give them the “inside story” of how the scheme was carried out when he testifies at trial, after pleading responsible to costs, together with grand larceny and tax fraud, within the case.
The protection countered that Weisselberg merely cheated on his personal taxes, and Trump had nothing to do with it. “Weisselberg did it for Weisselberg,” firm legal professional Michael van der Veen mentioned.
Trump and people in his orbit are in a lot authorized hassle that the Manhattan case is certainly one of three completely different trials happening this week in three completely different boroughs. We’ve additionally obtained a civil trial within the Bronx, the place jury choice kicked off in a swimsuit introduced by a bunch of protesters in opposition to Trump and his firm over allegations they had been assaulted by safety personnel outdoors Trump Tower. And a longtime Trump affiliate, billionaire Thomas Barrack, is on trial in federal courtroom in Brooklyn. On prime of all that, proceedings are underway in Lawyer Common Tish James’ lawsuit in opposition to Trump, the place the AG has requested a choose to freeze the Trump Group’s belongings.
No surprise the man moved to Florida.
IT’S TUESDAY and we’ve found that every one of 1958’s “The Final Hurrah” is on YouTube. As the times dwindle till Nov. 8, watch Spencer Tracy run for reelection as mayor of “A New England Metropolis.”
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WHERE’S KATHY? Campaigning on the Gun Hill Street subway station, visiting Bronx small companies with Bengali group leaders, talking at a Latino breakfast, showing on “Katy Tur Experiences” on MSNBC, and talking on the Brooklyn Dems Gala.
WHERE’S ERIC? Making an setting and faculties associated announcement and talking on the dedication ceremony of the Lena Horne Theatre.
“NYC warns that lively metropolis employees might must pay for medical insurance if Medicare Benefit push fails,” by New York Each day Information’ Chris Sommerfeldt: “Mayor Adams’ administration is contemplating making lively municipal workers pay for his or her medical insurance premiums if its controversial effort to shift town’s retired workforce right into a privatized Medicare plan falls aside, the Each day Information has discovered. Saddling lively municipal employees with premiums would break with a long time of metropolis authorities precedent. Nonetheless, Adams’ group has floated it as a final resort in negotiations with the Municipal Labor Committee on the Medicare Benefit Plan they’ve lengthy tried to enroll retired metropolis employees in for cost-saving causes, in line with Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Academics union and a prime MLC member.”
“NYC pay transparency regulation to enter impact on Nov. 1, most companies should present wage ranges,” by New York Each day Information’ Michael Gartland: “Beginning Tuesday, Nov. 1, most employers in New York Metropolis will likely be required by regulation to supply wage ranges to job candidates — a measure meant to assist potential employees negotiate truthful pay, however one which some small companies could battle with. The Metropolis Council enshrined the brand new requirement into follow with two new legal guidelines it handed during the last a number of months — the primary mandated that wage ranges be supplied by employers; the second pushed again the efficient begin date to offer companies time to arrange for the primary regulation. One of many main objectives of the legal guidelines is to deal with pay inequity, and research have proven that girls and non-white employees are paid much less on common than white males.”
“Yet one more Rikers Island detainee dies, bringing NYC jail dying toll to 18 this 12 months,” by New York Each day Information’ Graham Rayman: “A 26-year-old man held on the troubled Rikers Island jail advanced died Monday — the 18th such dying of 2022 — precisely three years to the day from the beginning of his pre-trial detention within the metropolis jails. Gilberto Garcia went into some type of medical misery within the Anna M. Kross Focus on midday earlier than he was discovered by metropolis Division of Correction employees, in line with DOC sources and information. He was declared useless simply earlier than 1 p.m. Garcia was despatched to Rikers on Oct. 31, 2019 after being arrested for first-degree theft in Manhattan. He additionally could have been held underneath a state parole warrant, DOC information point out.”
— “NYC correction officer stabbed over a dozen occasions by Rikers Island inmate, sources say,” by New York Each day Information’ Graham Rayman and Elizabeth Keogh: “A metropolis correction officer was severely injured when a Rikers Island inmate stabbed him repeatedly within the head Monday, Correction Division sources mentioned. Inmate Dennis Applewhite stabbed the 28-year-old officer greater than a dozen occasions round 4:45 p.m. on the Anna M. Kross Middle, in line with the sources. The officer was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital in critical however secure situation.”
“NYC faculties will get additional $12M in funding for migrant college students — however protesters say help isn’t sufficient,” by New York Put up’s Cayla Bamberger: “New York Metropolis public faculties seeing an inflow of migrant college students will obtain an additional $12 million in funding, training officers introduced Monday — minutes earlier than a protest over the company’s dealing with of the disaster. Beneath the coverage, faculties who’ve at the very least six or extra new college students in short-term housing — an indicator of migrant youngsters in shelters — will obtain $2,000 per head, the Division of Schooling mentioned.”
“Virginia Gov. Youngkin passes ‘baton’ to Zeldin as GOP sees NY as subsequent blue-state upset,” by New York Put up’s Zach Williams: “Seeing the parallels to his personal gorgeous victory final 12 months, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was in New York Monday to ‘move the baton’ to surging fellow Republican Lee Zeldin as polls present his marketing campaign in opposition to Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is now a toss-up. ‘I’m right here to move the baton to Lee Zeldin for him to develop into your subsequent governor,’ a fired-up Youngkin informed about 500 Zeldin supporters in Mount Nice almost one 12 months after his personal epic victory in one other blue-leaning state. ‘You all on Nov. 8 are gonna watch one thing occur. It’s gonna ship a shockwave world wide,’ Youngkin added.”
— A coalition of largely Latino grocery store homeowners within the New York Metropolis space are elevating $70,000 for Zeldin.
4 takeaways from early voting turnout in New York, by POLITICO’s Invoice Mahoney: The 262,000 ballots solid by early voting on Saturday and Sunday is effectively up above the 52,000 solid within the first two days of the 2019 common election’s early voting interval and the 71,000 solid in 2021. The quantity trails the 422,000 solid within the first two days of the presidential election 12 months of 2020.
One of many key questions on election evening would be the share of votes that come from New York Metropolis. That share has ranged from 26 % to 34 % in latest gubernatorial elections. Any path for an upset by Republican gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin possible entails this 12 months’s quantity falling on the decrease finish of that spectrum, as that might point out turnout is low within the state’s Democratic stronghold and excessive within the areas the place he’s extra aggressive. On Saturday and Sunday, 37 % of the early votes solid got here from New York Metropolis. That is perhaps seen as promising for Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul.
— AG Tish James has formally declined a debate with Republican candidate for AG Michael Henry.
CUOMO CHECK: “Within the Studio with Andrew Cuomo, Podcaster,” by Hunter Walker for The New Yorker: “Cuomo had one other fear: ‘Why does my nostril look massive in these footage?’ ‘I might put the nostril filter on,’ Pearce steered. ‘I like it,’ Cuomo mentioned. Cuomo stepped out of the studio, buzzing to himself. He needed a espresso, so he headed for a store just a few blocks away. He famous that he has misplaced roughly twenty kilos since leaving workplace. One other perk: he now has extra time to dedicate to fixing up traditional vehicles. Has he taken up remedy or meditation? ‘No, no, no,’ he mentioned. He defined that he has discovered peace in different methods: ‘I did extra for this state than any governor in fashionable historical past.’”
“Free press advocates ‘alarmed’ by Buffalo choose’s ruling in Starbucks case,” by Buffalo Information’ Samantha Christmann: “A Buffalo choose has dominated that Starbucks employees and union representatives should hand over to the corporate all paperwork and recordings they’ve of their conversations with the media about unionizing shops in Buffalo. That issues free press advocates, who word that communications between reporters and sources are normally revered as privileged and personal. It has implications that might have an effect on members of the media and members of unions alike, and chips away at free press protections, advocates mentioned. ‘Clearly, Starbucks is violating the First Modification of our nation by attempting to get entry to info that’s a part of the information gathering course of,’ mentioned Jon Schleuss, president of the NewsGuild union, which represents journalists.”
#UpstateAmerica: The Buffalo Sabres’ new group canine, Nikki, lately sat down for an interview.
Democrats rush help to deep-blue seat in Upstate New York, by POLITICO’s Ally Mutnick: Home Democrats’ prime tremendous PAC is making a last-minute purchase to help Rep. Joe Morelle, a New York Democrat in a deep-blue seat — the newest signal that the battle for the Home is lurching towards the GOP. Morelle, who was elected in 2018 to interchange the late Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter, holds a Rochester-area district that backed President Joe Biden by 20 factors in 2020. His Republican opponent, La’Ron Singletary, is a former Rochester police chief who has staked his marketing campaign on rising crime charges in New York. Home Majority PAC will go on air this week for Morelle with a $275,000 purchase, in line with information from the media monitoring agency AdImpact.
“N.Y. Democrats in Robust Combat to Seize an Open G.O.P. Home Seat,” by The New York Instances’ Grace Ashford: “For years, Democrats have avidly eyed a congressional district in central New York as ripe for the flipping. The numbers had been of their favor: The get together loved a voter registration edge over Republicans; in 2016, district voters favored Hillary Clinton by about 4 share factors over Donald J. Trump; 4 years later, Joseph R. Biden Jr. received the district by 9 factors. But each two years, Consultant John Katko, a neighborhood Republican with average views, outperformed his get together to defend his seat. This 12 months, Mr. Katko is not an element: He has chosen to not search re-election.”
“Schumer Can Take the Insults, if It Helps Preserve Democrats in Energy,” by The New York Instances’ Jesse McKinley: “For an hour on Sunday evening, Senator Chuck Schumer endured insult after insult. He was known as a liar and a failure. He was blamed for inflation, the decline of the shipbuilding trade, and dying threats to Supreme Court docket justices. He was known as a modern-day Goliath, a ‘blind biblical large,’ a shocking description of a senator famed for each his spectacles and his slouch. Mr. Schumer took all of it, seemingly treating the excoriation from his Republican opponent, Joesph Pinion, as an prolonged alternative to remind voters of a collection of Democratic accomplishments during the last two years throughout his tenure as Senate majority chief, a task he’s clinging to at the same time as his get together faces critical headwinds in midterm elections subsequent week. … Mr. Schumer doesn’t appear in any hazard: He’s closely favored to win a fifth time period within the Senate, with a latest Quinnipiac ballot exhibiting him holding a 12-point lead. However it’s a measure of the place issues stand for Democrats that Mr. Schumer was prepared to commerce time on Sunday evening to trumpet his get together in alternate for absorbing Mr. Pinion’s brickbats, which included a near-constant assertion that the senator has been in workplace too lengthy.”
— Arrests on the subway system have almost doubled up to now week after extra cops had been deployed.
— State training commissioner Betty Rosadismissed petitions from 14 dad and mom who needed to take away superintendents and principals for upholding the Covid-19 masks mandate in faculties.
— AG Tish James’ workplaceneeds lawmakers to make deed theft an specific crime.
— The stateopened its first treatment dosing unit to supply methadone therapy to folks battling opioid habit.
— The choose who oversaw the conviction of Harvey Weinstein will likely be leaving the bench as a result of a mayoral advisory committee on the judiciary declined to advocate him for reappointment.
— Nineteen months after former New York Metropolis Mayor Invoice de Blasio introduced Advance Peace would deliver its gun violence prevention mannequin to New York Metropolis, little progress has been made and the nonprofit is pulling out.
— Funds cuts to a metropolis watchdog company might sluggish motion in police misconduct circumstances.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: John Seeley … Francesco Guerrera … NYT’s Carlos Lozada … John Oxtoby of Ariel Investments … CNN’s Marshall Cohen … Alex Byers … Erin Hearn of J Methods … Ram Sivalingam
MAKING MOVES — Taffi Ayodele has been named director of variety, fairness and inclusion and rising supervisor technique for the bureau of asset administration within the metropolis comptroller’s workplace. She was beforehand a principal at Harpia Asset Administration. … Brooke Lorenz is now a director at Artemis, a boutique technique agency run by Conde Nast, Vogue and Obama alums Sarina Sanandaji and Hildy Kuryk. She most lately was director of communications for CBS Information and is an alum of CNN and the Washington Put up.
WEEKEND WEDDING — Daniel Strauss, a employees author and senior political correspondent at The New Republic, and Claire Tonneson, model studio director at Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, obtained married Saturday on the Cosmos Membership. Former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) officiated. Visitors loved readings of each poetry and Supreme Court docket choices, a tarot card reader and a efficiency of the College of Michigan combat music. The couple met on a blind date by Emily Adams.Pic
SPOTTED: Jonathan Swan and Betsy Woodruff Swan, Natasha Bertrand and Bryan Coxwell, Brian Wanglin and Justice Inexperienced, Betsy Klein and Jeff Solnet, Casey and Sarah Phillips, Louise Jones, Marlies Carruth, Ben Strauss, Jackie Kucinich, Tierney Snead and Jim Newell, Cassi Gritzmacher, Jeff Wojcik, Cecilia Conrad and Jared Allen.
“Eaten alive: NYC pols, tenants rally in opposition to ‘zombie flats’ used to avoid lease legal guidelines,” by amNewYork’s Dean Moses: “New York Metropolis is ‘Zombieland’ with regards to the proliferation of flats stored deliberately vacant by ghoulish landlords seeking to scare up an enormous revenue afterward, elected officers charged on Halloween. Dubbing the empty models ‘zombie flats,’ Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Manhattan Metropolis Council Member Carlina Rivera aptly gathered on Oct. 31 outdoors of 331 East 14th St., the place tenants are present process a lease strike resulting from poor circumstances. Supporters even dressed as zombies and ghouls to drive their level house about ‘zombie flats’ popping up throughout town.”
“How the vote of 1 NYC Council member might kill a $2 billion Queens improvement challenge,” by New York Each day Information’ Michael Gartland: “Like controversial rezoning proposals earlier than it, the $2 billion Innovation QNS challenge may very well be scuttled by a comparatively obscure Metropolis Council follow often called ‘member deference,’ which permits the Council member representing the district in query to place the kibosh on a improvement merely by giving it the thumbs down. Usually when that occurs, the Council member’s colleagues additionally observe swimsuit with a respectful ‘no’ vote.”