The Daily Fuckup

The Trump Organization went into the final days of 2022 with one basic fact already settled: a Manhattan jury had convicted the company’s corporate entities on Dec. 6, and the judge had not yet imposed sentence by Dec. 30.

The verdict covered the Trump Corporation and Trump Payroll Corporation, two entities that do business as the Trump Organization. Jurors found them guilty on tax-related counts tied to off-the-books compensation provided to executives. Former finance chief Allen Weisselberg had already pleaded guilty earlier in the year and testified for the prosecution.

The criminal case was brought by the Manhattan district attorney’s office, with assistance from the New York attorney general’s office. After the verdict, the company said it would appeal.

What remained at year-end was the penalty phase. Sentencing was later set for Jan. 13, 2023. Under the law, the conviction carried a possible fine, but on Dec. 30 the organization was still waiting for the court to decide the amount. By then, the legal posture was no longer hypothetical. The jury had spoken, and the next step was punishment, not argument over whether a conviction existed at all.