Eric Trump, the only child of former President Donald Trump who (so far) made an appearance at his father’s criminal trial in Manhattan, where the presumptive GOP presidential nominee faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business documents to cover up payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels, compared his father to the infamous gangster Al Capone.
On Fox News, Eric Trump complained about the D.A.’s office and said: “They’re going back to a $130k payment that a man made in his individual capacity that he booked on his personal ledger as a legal expense because it was paid to his long time attorney? And he gets 34 felonies? Remember, Al Capone got one felony; my father gets 34.”
Eric Trump: They’re going back to a $130k payment that a man made in his individual capacity that he booked on his personal ledger as a legal expense because it was paid to his attorney pic.twitter.com/Z59dhyxBkC
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 13, 2024
[Note: Former Trump Organization controller Jeff McConney testified and told the court that Trump signed monthly checks to Cohen after Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 not to share her story.]
Also: Capone was convicted of three felony counts of tax evasion and two misdemeanor counts of failing to file a tax return. [NOTE: Earlier that year Capone, like Trump, was found guilty on a contempt of court charge. Unlike Trump, Capone was sentenced to six months in Cook County Jail.]
During his highly publicized trial in 1931, Capone pled guilty to tax evasion and then boasted to the press that he had “struck a deal for a two-and-a-half year sentence, but the presiding judge informed him he, the judge, was not bound by any deal. Capone then changed his plea to not guilty.” Capone was convicted after trial and sentenced to 11 years in federal prison. His appeal was denied by the Supreme Court.
Another difference between Capone and Trump: Capone made the FBI’s job more difficult by never signing any checks.