Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg surrenders to prosecutors Monday is expected to plead guilty later in the day to lying on the witness stand during former President Trump’s financial fraud trial. Weisselberg was fined $1 million by Judge Arthur Engoron as part of the massive judgment against Trump, his adult sons, and members of the family business. Here are the latest legal developments involving the former president hoping to be reelected to the White House in 2024.
New York financial fraud
Allen Weisselberg surrenders to
Key players: Former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg, Judge Arthur Engoron, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg
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On Monday, Weisselberg is expected to plead guilty to perjury charges relating to testimony he gave on the witness stand in the financial fraud trial of Trump, his adult sons and their family business, .
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For weeks, Weisselberg had been negotiating a plea deal with Manhattan prosecutors, but in exchange for his guilty plea, he will not have to testify against Trump at his upcoming trial on campaign finance and tax violations.
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In 2022, Weisselberg, 76, pleaded guilty to 15 counts of tax fraud. He served 100 days at Rikers Island prison.
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It’s unclear what other punishment Weisselberg, who is in poor health, may face.
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After learning that Weisselberg may be negotiating a plea deal with Bragg, Engoron asked lawyers in the fraud case to supply him with any knowledge they may have had regarding Weisselberg lying on the witness stand.
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As part of his judgment against the defendants, Engoron fined Weisselberg $1 million plus interest, and barred him from ever working for the Trump Org. in any financial capacity.
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In a statement, the Trump Org. said Weisselberg “is now being used by the Manhattan District Attorney as a pawn in a scorched earth attempt to harm the former President.”
Why it matters: On the witness stand, Weisselberg tried to convince the judge that he had not over-inflated Trump’s personal and business assets to obtain favorable loan and insurance rates. The plea deal is just one more bit of evidence that will be used to counter Trump’s appeal of Engoron’s massive $464 million judgment against the former president and his company.
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