Former Watergate Prosecutor: “No Question” Ivanka Could Face Prison Time for Her Role in Trump Tax Scheme
Donald Trump has always clearly favored his daughter Ivanka over his other 4 children. She, of course, has an official role in the White House while her siblings do not. According to Rick Gates, Trump even pushed for his daughter to be his running mate back in 2016.
But sometimes, the president’s love for his daughter can have consequences. According to the New York Times report on Trump’s taxes, he involved Ivanka in some of his more questionable tax deductions. Former Watergate prosecutor Nick Ackerman says this tactic may land the first daughter in prison.
Ackerman first discussed the matter in a weekend tweet. He wrote, “The phrase ‘Tax Avoidance’ in the NYT headline should read Trump’s ‘Tax Evasion.’ Payments of sham consulting fees to Ivanka to evade income taxes is like what Trump’s father did in paying bogus expenses to a phony company to evade estate taxes.”
The phrase "Tax Avoidance" in the NYT headline should read Trump's "Tax Evasion." Payments of sham consulting fees to Ivanka to evade income taxes is like what Trump's father did in paying bogus expenses to a phony company to evade estate taxes.
— Nick Akerman (@nickakerman) September 28, 2020
The former prosecutor appeared on CNN’s Out Front to discuss the matter further. He was asked by host Erin Burnett if Trump could go to jail over his tax returns. “No question about it,” he said. “And his daughter could go to jail, too.”
Ackerman elaborated, “Tax evasion is a five-year felony. It’s a pretty serious crime, and the more money that’s stolen, the longer you go to jail for.” He later remarked, ““The only thing that’s saving him at this point is the Department of Justice’s guideline that says you can’t indict a sitting president. Once he’s no longer a sitting president, he is subject to being indicted.”
Watch a clip of the segment below, courtesy of CNN:
Ex-Watergate prosecutor Nick Akerman says the NYT’s report on Trump’s taxes shows that both he and his daughter, Ivanka could face legal liabilities. “The only thing saving him at this point is the Department of Justice’s guideline that says you can’t indict a sitting president.” pic.twitter.com/4YI1qDhI5g
— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) September 28, 2020
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