一名会计师作证称，大约十年前，唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)报告称，两年间运营亏损近10亿美元在特朗普组织的刑事审判中这位前总统曾多次试图保密的税收信息泄露给公众。
会计师唐纳德·本德(Donald Bender)是Mazars USA的合伙人，该公司为特朗普及其公司准备了纳税申报单，他周二作证说，特朗普在2009年至2018年的10年里每年都报告亏损。
“这些年来一直有损失，”本德说。
在曼哈顿审判特朗普家族企业的同一天，美国最高法院裁定美国国税局必须交出特朗普六年的税务信息众议院筹款委员会。
随着审判接近尾声，检察官苏珊·霍夫手指(Susan Hoffinger)在交叉质证期间向本德询问了特朗普的税收问题。曼哈顿地区检察官为获得这些记录奋斗了近三年，包括两次在美国最高法院出庭。
Hoffinger向Bender询问了特朗普在2009年和2010年的损失，当时该公司损失了近10亿美元。
“你还记得2010年唐纳德·特朗普在个人纳税申报单上损失了近2亿美元吗?”霍夫手指问道。
“我想是的，”本德检查了记录后说。
“你还记得2009年唐纳德·特朗普(Donald Trump)的个人纳税申报单损失了约7亿美元吗?”霍夫手指紧随其后。
“听起来差不多，”本德回答道。
惊人的损失掩盖了特朗普精心培养的精明而成功的商人的声誉。这一形象曾帮助他入主白宫，特朗普希望在他开始新的总统竞选时再次这样做。
这些数字很大程度上反映了《纽约时报》的一篇报道2020年9月，他们获得了特朗普纳税申报表的选定部分。
特朗普不是该案的被告，这一系列问题与特朗普组织被指控在12年期间实施的税收计划没有明显的联系，当时前首席财务官艾伦·魏斯塞尔伯格和其他高管据称在账面上获得了租金、汽车租赁和私立学校学费等津贴。
魏斯勒伯格，谁认罪了并根据与检察官达成的认罪协议作证说他策划了这个阴谋出于他自己的贪婪而川普并不知情。他还作证说，该计划帮助特朗普集团减少了工资税，协助曼哈顿地区检察官办公室证明该公司受益。
本德是辩方传唤的第一个证人，辩方曾表示，他有责任提醒特朗普公司注意任何欺诈行为，但为了让一个利润丰厚的客户高兴，他没有这样做。
“可以公平地说，特朗普的账户约占你为马扎带来的收入的三分之二?”辩护律师鲍勃·布伦南问道。
“接近60%，”本德回答道。
“但这是你最大的账户?”布伦南问。“是的先生，”本德说。
检察官向陪审团展示了Mazars的一封信，信中说，该公司为特朗普组织所做的工作“不包括任何旨在检测错误、违规或非法行为的程序，包括欺诈或挪用公款，如果存在的话。”
本德似乎是在帮助控方，他作证说，韦斯伯格从未告诉他，该公司支付他的租金和其他个人开支是免税的。
“在2021年之前的任何时候，你是否真的知道特朗普公司和唐纳德·特朗普正在支付这些个人费用，作为艾伦·魏斯塞尔伯格报酬的一部分，并且没有向税务机关报告这些费用?”霍夫手指问道。
“没有，夫人，”本德回答。
“如果你当时知道所有这些，你和马扎尔会怎么做?”霍夫手指问道。
“我们会就继续与客户合作进行严肃的对话，”本德回应道。
Donald Trump reported losses of nearly $1 billion over 2-year period, accountant says
Donald Trump reported nearly $1 billion in operating losses over a two-year period about a decade ago, an accountant testified at the criminal trial of the Trump Organization, spilling into public tax information that the former president has tried repeatedly to keep private.
The accountant, Donald Bender, a partner at Mazars USA, the firm that prepared tax returns for Trump and his company, testified Tuesday that Trump reported losses each year for 10 years from 2009 to 2018.
"There are losses for all these years," Bender said.
The disclosure at the Manhattan trial of Trump's family business came the same day the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the IRS is required to turn over six years' worth of Trump's tax information to the House Ways and Means Committee.
Prosecutor Susan Hoffinger questioned Bender about Trump's taxes during cross-examination as the trial nears an end. The Manhattan district attorney fought for nearly three years to obtain the records, including two appearances before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Hoffinger asked Bender about Trump's losses in 2009 and 2010, when the company lost nearly $1 billion.
"Do you recall in 2010 Donald Trump had losses of almost $200 million on his personal tax returns?" Hoffinger asked.
"I believe so," Bender said after examining the records.
"Do you recall in 2009, Donald Trump had, his personal tax returns had losses around $700 million?" Hoffinger followed.
"Sounds about right," Bender replied.
The staggering losses belie the reputation Trump has carefully tried to cultivate as a shrewd and successful businessman. That image helped carry him to the White House once, with Trump hoping it will again as he now embarks on a new run for president.
The numbers largely mirrored a report in The New York Times in September 2020 when they acquired select portions of Trump's tax returns.
Trump is not a defendant in the case and the line of questioning had no obvious connection to the tax scheme the Trump Organization is charged with carrying out over a 12-year period when former chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg and other executives were allegedly paid off the books with perks like rent, car leases and private school tuition.
Weisselberg, who has pleaded guilty and testified pursuant to a plea agreement with prosecutors, has aided the defense by saying he hatched the scheme out of his own greed and Trump was unaware. He also testified that the scheme helped the Trump Organization reduce its payroll taxes, assisting the Manhattan District Attorney's Office prove there was a benefit to the company.
Bender was the first witness called by the defense, which has suggested it was his responsibility to alert the Trump Organization to any fraud but didn't in order to keep a lucrative client happy.
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"Fair to say the Trump account represented roughly two-thirds of the revenue you brought into Mazars?" asked defense attorney Bob Brennan.
"Closer to 60 [percent]," Bender replied.
"But it was your largest account?" Brennan asked. "Yes sir," Bender said.
Prosecutors showed the jury a letter from Mazars that said the firm's work for the Trump Organization "does not include any procedures designed to detect errors, irregularities, or illegal acts, including fraud or defalcations, should any exist."
Bender appeared to help the prosecution when he testified that Weisselberg never told him the company was paying his rent and other personal expenses tax-free.
"At any time before the year 2021, did you actually know that The Trump Corporation and Donald Trump were paying these personal expenses as part of Allen Weisselberg's compensation and not reporting them to the tax authorities?" Hoffinger asked.
"No, ma'am," Bender answered.
"If you had known all of that at that time, what would you and Mazars have done?" Hoffinger asked.
"We would have had a serious conversation about continuing with the client," Bender responded.
