Easement Tax Break Emerges in Trump Fraud Case Brought by NY AG

One of the pillars of the multibillion-dollar fraud lawsuit unveiled Wednesday against Donald Trump focused on a fairly common tax break that New York officials said lowered his tax bills by millions: conservation easements.

Such easements involve donating property development rights in order to preserve the property in exchange for a tax break. In her sweeping 222-page civil lawsuit, New York Attorney General Letitia James accused Trump and his company of illegally inflating the valuations of multiple properties to increase tax deductions.

The easement donations play only a part in the overall lawsuit, which alleges that Trump, his adult ...