Both Trump Organization units charged — the Trump Corporation and the Trump Payroll Corporation — have pleaded not guilty. Their lawyers argued on Monday that Weisselberg was not acting on the company's behalf.
Hoffinger said Weisselberg was “a prime beneficiary” of the scheme. But she said he acted as a Trump Organization executive, and that the company benefited by keeping top executives happy and saving on taxes. Van der Veen sought to shift blame to accounting firm Mazars, which handled the company's and Weisselberg's tax returns.