Trump Wins In Court
On Thursday, Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah declared the conclusion of a lengthy investigation into the Trump Organization’s assessment of a golf club located in New York. This announcement was made to emphasize the importance of independent prosecutors and a justice system that operates free from political influence.
According to Fox, Rocah, who identifies as a Democrat, initiated the investigation in 2021 to determine if former President Donald Trump or the Trump Organization had presented inaccurate valuations to officials in order to reduce the tax liability for Trump National Golf Club in Briarcliff Manor. It is noteworthy that no charges were brought against Trump or his organization.
Trump took to Truth Social and wrote, “AFTER GOING THROUGH A CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FOR TWO YEARS BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE IN WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NEW YORK, IT WAS JUST ANNOUNCED THAT THE CASE HAS BEEN DROPPED, AND NO CHARGES WILL BE FILED. THIS WAS THE HONORABLE THING TO DO IN THAT I DID NOTHING WRONG, BUT WHERE AND WHEN DO I GET MY REPUTATION BACK? WHEN WILL THE OTHER FAKE CASES AGAINST ME BE DROPPED? ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!”
Former assistant U.S. Attorney Elliott Jacobson, who had retired, took on the role of special prosecutor for the Westchester County District Attorney’s office to lead the investigation. Despite being retired, Jacobson dedicated his time on a voluntary basis and concluded his service in November 2022. In an interview with CBS News in May, he provided this information.
As part of the investigation, Rocah’s office issued subpoenas to obtain records from both the golf course itself and the town of Ossining, which is responsible for handling the course’s tax matters. These subpoenas were a crucial step in gathering relevant information and evidence for the investigation.
During the course of the investigation, it was discovered that the Trump Organization initially assessed the value of the golf club at around $1.4 million for tax purposes. However, this valuation was later revised, and the organization increased its estimate to $6.5 million. In contrast, the town of Ossining consistently appraised the golf club at over $15 million for several years. These discrepancies in valuations were a focal point of the investigation, aiming to determine whether misleading information was provided to officials in an attempt to reduce the tax obligations of the Trump National Golf Club.
In 2021, a New York judge made a ruling on a compromise regarding the assessment of the golf club. The decision entailed reducing the assessment to $9.5 million for that particular year. Additionally, assessments from previous years were also reduced by approximately 30%, leading to the company being eligible for refunds amounting to approximately $875,000 for overcharges on its back taxes. This compromise was reached as a resolution to address the discrepancies in the valuation of the golf club and rectify any potential overcharges in tax payments.
Rocah’s announcement coincided with a significant event involving Trump. Just a few days prior, Trump pleaded not guilty to 37 federal charges in a Miami courtroom. These charges were a result of Special Counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into Trump’s alleged improper retention of classified records at Mar-a-Lago. The charges against Trump included offenses such as willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and making false statements. This ongoing legal development added further context to Rocah’s announcement regarding the closure of the investigation into the Trump Organization’s golf club valuations.
