| | | | |  | | By Erin Durkin , Anna Gronewold and Julian Shen-Berro | Donald Trump may not be on trial, but the business empire he created is. A criminal trial kicked off Monday against the Trump Organization in Manhattan Supreme Court, as prosecutors detailed how "greed and cheating" drove a 15-year scheme to avoid taxes. The former president's name was mentioned again and again as prosecutor Susan Hoffinger delivered her opening statement: Trump personally paid private school tuition for the grandchildren of company CFO Allen Weisselberg — one of many examples of off-the-books compensation Weisselberg and the company did not pay taxes on. Trump signed the lease for Weisselberg's apartment overlooking the Hudson River on Riverside Drive, she said. Weisselberg reported directly to Trump for 35 years, and was so trusted that he was named a trustee to oversee the president's assets while he was in the White House. And it was only when Trump became president that the fraud came to an end, as the company looked to clean up its act out of concern for increased scrutiny. "This case is about greed and cheating, cheating on taxes," Hoffinger said, as Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg looked on. She promised the jury that Weisselberg would give them the "inside story" of how the scheme was carried out when he testifies at trial, after pleading guilty to charges, including grand larceny and tax fraud , in the case. The defense countered that Weisselberg simply cheated on his own taxes, and Trump had nothing to do with it. "Weisselberg did it for Weisselberg," company attorney Michael van der Veen said. Trump and those in his orbit are in so much legal trouble that the Manhattan case is one of three different trials taking place this week in three different boroughs. We've also got a civil trial in the Bronx, where jury selection kicked off in a suit brought by a group of protesters against Trump and his company over allegations they were assaulted by security personnel outside Trump Tower. And a longtime Trump associate, billionaire Thomas Barrack, is on trial in federal court in Brooklyn. On top of all that, proceedings are underway in Attorney General Tish James' lawsuit against Trump, where the AG has asked a judge to freeze the Trump Organization's assets. No wonder the guy moved to Florida. IT'S TUESDAY and we've discovered that all of 1958's "The Last Hurrah" is on YouTube. As the days dwindle until Nov. 8, watch Spencer Tracy run for reelection as mayor of "A New England City." Got tips, suggestions or thoughts? Let us know ... By email: EDurkin@politico.com and agronewold@politico.com , or on Twitter: @erinmdurkin and @annagronewold WHERE'S KATHY? Campaigning at the Gun Hill Road subway station, visiting Bronx small businesses with Bengali community leaders, speaking at a Latino breakfast, appearing on "Katy Tur Reports" on MSNBC, and speaking at the Brooklyn Dems Gala. WHERE'S ERIC? Making an environment and schools related announcement and speaking at the dedication ceremony of the Lena Horne Theatre.
| | | | NEW AND IMPROVED POLITICO APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. With a fresh look and improved features, the sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don't miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. Already a POLITICO app user? Upgrade today! DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID . | | | | | |  | What City Hall's reading | | " NYC warns that active city workers could have to pay for health insurance if Medicare Advantage push fails ," by New York Daily News' Chris Sommerfeldt: "Mayor Adams' administration is considering making active municipal employees pay for their health insurance premiums if its controversial effort to shift the city's retired workforce into a privatized Medicare plan falls apart, the Daily News has learned. Saddling active municipal workers with premiums would break with decades of city government precedent. Nonetheless, Adams' team has floated it as a last resort in negotiations with the Municipal Labor Committee on the Medicare Advantage Plan they've long tried to enroll retired city workers in for cost-saving reasons, according to Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers union and a top MLC member." " NYC pay transparency law to go into effect on Nov. 1, most businesses must provide salary ranges ," by New York Daily News' Michael Gartland: "Starting Tuesday, Nov. 1, most employers in New York City will be required by law to provide salary ranges to job applicants — a measure intended to help potential workers negotiate fair pay, but one which some small businesses may struggle with. The City Council enshrined the new requirement into practice with two new laws it passed over the last several months — the first mandated that salary ranges be provided by employers; the second pushed back the effective start date to give businesses time to prepare for the first law. One of the primary goals of the laws is to address pay inequity, and studies have shown that women and non-white workers are paid less on average than white men." " Yet another Rikers Island detainee dies, bringing NYC jail death toll to 18 this year ," by New York Daily News' Graham Rayman: "A 26-year-old man held on the troubled Rikers Island jail complex died Monday — the 18th such death of 2022 — exactly three years to the day from the start of his pre-trial detention in the city jails. Gilberto Garcia went into some kind of medical distress in the Anna M. Kross Center around noon before he was found by city Department of Correction staff, according to DOC sources and records. He was declared dead just before 1 p.m. Garcia was sent to Rikers on Oct. 31, 2019 after being arrested for first-degree robbery in Manhattan. He also may have been held under a state parole warrant, DOC records indicate." — " NYC correction officer stabbed over a dozen times by Rikers Island inmate, sources say ," by New York Daily News' Graham Rayman and Elizabeth Keogh: "A city correction officer was seriously injured when a Rikers Island inmate stabbed him repeatedly in the head Monday, Correction Department sources said. Inmate Dennis Applewhite stabbed the 28-year-old officer more than a dozen times around 4:45 p.m. at the Anna M. Kross Center, according to the sources. The officer was rushed to Elmhurst Hospital in serious but stable condition." " NYC schools will get extra $12M in funding for migrant students — but protesters say aid isn't enough ," by New York Post's Cayla Bamberger: "New York City public schools seeing an influx of migrant students will receive an extra $12 million in funding, education officials announced Monday — minutes before a protest over the agency's handling of the crisis. Under the policy, schools who have at least six or more new students in temporary housing — an indicator of migrant kids in shelters — will receive $2,000 per head, the Department of Education said."
| | WHAT ALBANY'S READING | | " Virginia Gov. Youngkin passes 'baton' to Zeldin as GOP sees NY as next blue-state upset ," by New York Post's Zach Williams: "Seeing the parallels to his own stunning victory last year, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was in New York Monday to 'pass the baton' to surging fellow Republican Lee Zeldin as polls show his campaign against Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul is now a toss-up. 'I'm here to pass the baton to Lee Zeldin for him to become your next governor,' a fired-up Youngkin told about 500 Zeldin supporters in Mount Pleasant nearly one year after his own epic victory in another blue-leaning state. 'You all on Nov. 8 are gonna watch something happen. It's gonna send a shockwave around the world,' Youngkin added." — A coalition of mostly Latino supermarket owners in the New York City area are raising $70,000 for Zeldin . Four takeaways from early voting turnout in New York , by POLITICO's Bill Mahoney: The 262,000 ballots cast by early voting on Saturday and Sunday is well up above the 52,000 cast in the first two days of the 2019 general election's early voting period and the 71,000 cast in 2021. The number trails the 422,000 cast in the first two days of the presidential election year of 2020. One of the key questions on election night will be the percentage of votes that come from New York City. That share has ranged from 26 percent to 34 percent in recent gubernatorial elections. Any path for an upset by Republican gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin likely involves this year's number falling on the lower end of that spectrum, as that would indicate turnout is low in the state's Democratic stronghold and high in the areas where he is more competitive. On Saturday and Sunday, 37 percent of the early votes cast came from New York City. That might be seen as promising for Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul. — AG Tish James has officially declined a debate with Republican candidate for AG Michael Henry. CUOMO CHECK: " In the Studio with Andrew Cuomo, Podcaster ," by Hunter Walker for The New Yorker: "Cuomo had another worry: 'Why does my nose look big in those pictures?' 'I could put the nose filter on,' Pearce suggested. 'I love it,' Cuomo said. Cuomo stepped out of the studio, humming to himself. He wanted a coffee, so he headed for a shop a few blocks away. He noted that he has lost roughly twenty pounds since leaving office. Another perk: he now has more time to devote to fixing up classic cars. Has he taken up therapy or meditation? 'No, no, no,' he said. He explained that he has found peace in other ways: 'I did more for this state than any governor in modern history.'" " Free press advocates 'alarmed' by Buffalo judge's ruling in Starbucks case, " by Buffalo News' Samantha Christmann: "A Buffalo judge has ruled that Starbucks workers and union representatives must hand over to the company all documents and recordings they have of their conversations with the media about unionizing stores in Buffalo. That concerns free press advocates, who note that communications between reporters and sources are usually respected as privileged and private. It has implications that could affect members of the media and members of unions alike, and chips away at free press protections, advocates said. 'Clearly, Starbucks is violating the First Amendment of our country by trying to get access to information that is part of the news gathering process,' said Jon Schleuss, president of the NewsGuild union, which represents journalists." #UpstateAmerica: The Buffalo Sabres' new team dog, Nikki, recently sat down for an interview.
| | | | DON'T MISS POLITICO'S 2nd ANNUAL DEFENSE SUMMIT ON 11/16: The United States is facing a defining moment in the future of its defense, national security and democratic ideals. The current conflicts and developments around the world are pushing Washington to reshape its defense strategy and how it cooperates with allies. Join POLITICO for our second annual defense summit, "At a Crossroads: America's Defense Strategy" on November 16 in person at the Schuyler DC or join online to hear keynote interviews and panels discussing the road ahead for America's national security. REGISTER HERE . | | | | | | | CAMPAIGN MODE | | Democrats rush aid to deep-blue seat in Upstate New York , by POLITICO's Ally Mutnick: House Democrats' top super PAC is making a last-minute buy to aid Rep. Joe Morelle, a New York Democrat in a deep-blue seat — the latest sign that the battle for the House is lurching toward the GOP. Morelle, who was elected in 2018 to replace the late Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter, holds a Rochester-area district that backed President Joe Biden by 20 points in 2020. His Republican opponent, La'Ron Singletary, is a former Rochester police chief who has staked his campaign on rising crime rates in New York. House Majority PAC will go on air this week for Morelle with a $275,000 buy, according to data from the media tracking firm AdImpact. " N.Y. Democrats in Tough Fight to Capture an Open G.O.P. House Seat ," by The New York Times' Grace Ashford: "For years, Democrats have avidly eyed a congressional district in central New York as ripe for the flipping. The numbers were in their favor: The party enjoyed a voter registration edge over Republicans; in 2016, district voters favored Hillary Clinton by about four percentage points over Donald J. Trump; four years later, Joseph R. Biden Jr. won the district by nine points. Yet every two years, Representative John Katko, a local Republican with moderate views, outperformed his party to defend his seat. This year, Mr. Katko is no longer a factor: He has chosen not to seek re-election." " Schumer Can Take the Insults, if It Helps Keep Democrats in Power ," by The New York Times' Jesse McKinley: "For an hour on Sunday night, Senator Chuck Schumer endured insult after insult. He was called a liar and a failure. He was blamed for inflation, the decline of the shipbuilding industry, and death threats to Supreme Court justices. He was referred to as a modern-day Goliath, a 'blind biblical giant,' a surprising description of a senator famed for both his spectacles and his slouch. Mr. Schumer took it all, seemingly treating the excoriation from his Republican opponent, Joesph Pinion, as an extended opportunity to remind voters of a series of Democratic accomplishments over the last two years during his tenure as Senate majority leader, a role he is clinging to even as his party faces serious headwinds in midterm elections next week. … Mr. Schumer does not seem in any danger: He is heavily favored to win a fifth term in the Senate, with a recent Quinnipiac poll showing him holding a 12-point lead. But it is a measure of where things stand for Democrats that Mr. Schumer was willing to trade time on Sunday night to trumpet his party in exchange for absorbing Mr. Pinion's brickbats, which included a near-constant assertion that the senator has been in office too long."
| | AROUND NEW YORK | | — Arrests on the subway system have nearly doubled in the past week after more cops were deployed. — State education commissioner Betty Rosa dismissed petitions from 14 parents who wanted to remove superintendents and principals for upholding the Covid-19 mask mandate in schools. — AG Tish James' office wants lawmakers to make deed theft an explicit crime. — The state opened its first medication dosing unit to provide methadone treatment to people struggling with opioid addiction. — The judge who oversaw the conviction of Harvey Weinstein will be leaving the bench because a mayoral advisory committee on the judiciary declined to recommend him for reappointment. — Nineteen months after former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Advance Peace would bring its gun violence prevention model to New York City, little progress has been made and the nonprofit is pulling out . — Budget cuts to a city watchdog agency could slow action in police misconduct cases .
| | SOCIAL DATA BY DANIEL LIPPMAN | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY: John Seeley … Francesco Guerrera … NYT's Carlos Lozada … John Oxtoby of Ariel Investments … CNN's Marshall Cohen … Alex Byers … Erin Hearn of J Strategies … Ram Sivalingam MAKING MOVES — Taffi Ayodele has been named director of diversity, equity and inclusion and emerging manager strategy for the bureau of asset management in the city comptroller's office. She was previously a principal at Harpia Asset Management. … Brooke Lorenz is now a director at Artemis, a boutique strategy firm run by Conde Nast, Vogue and Obama alums Sarina Sanandaji and Hildy Kuryk. She most recently was director of communications for CBS News and is an alum of CNN and the Washington Post. WEEKEND WEDDING — Daniel Strauss, a staff writer and senior political correspondent at The New Republic, and Claire Tonneson, brand studio director at Sunshine Sachs Morgan & Lylis, got married Saturday at the Cosmos Club. Former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) officiated. Guests enjoyed readings of both poetry and Supreme Court decisions, a tarot card reader and a performance of the University of Michigan fight song. The couple met on a blind date through Emily Adams. Pic SPOTTED: Jonathan Swan and Betsy Woodruff Swan, Natasha Bertrand and Bryan Coxwell, Brian Wanglin and Justice Green, Betsy Klein and Jeff Solnet, Casey and Sarah Phillips, Louise Jones, Marlies Carruth, Ben Strauss, Jackie Kucinich, Tierney Snead and Jim Newell, Cassi Gritzmacher, Jeff Wojcik, Cecilia Conrad and Jared Allen.
| | Real Estate | | " Eaten alive: NYC pols, tenants rally against 'zombie apartments' used to circumvent rent laws ," by amNewYork's Dean Moses: "New York City is 'Zombieland' when it comes to the proliferation of apartments kept intentionally vacant by ghoulish landlords looking to scare up a big profit later on, elected officials charged on Halloween. Dubbing the empty units 'zombie apartments,' Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Manhattan City Council Member Carlina Rivera aptly gathered on Oct. 31 outside of 331 East 14th St., where tenants are undergoing a rent strike due to poor conditions. Supporters even dressed as zombies and ghouls to drive their point home about 'zombie apartments' popping up across the city." " How the vote of one NYC Council member could kill a $2 billion Queens development project ," by New York Daily News' Michael Gartland: "Like controversial rezoning proposals before it, the $2 billion Innovation QNS project could be scuttled by a relatively obscure City Council practice known as 'member deference,' which allows the Council member representing the district in question to put the kibosh on a development merely by giving it the thumbs down. Typically when that happens, the Council member's colleagues also follow suit with a deferential 'no' vote." | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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