Trump Organization former CFO Allen H. Weisselberg is reportedly negotiating a deal to plead guilty to perjury.
This matters because “[a]s part of the potential agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, Mr. Weisselberg would have to admit that he lied on the witness stand in [former President Donald] Trump’s recent civil fraud trial,” according to The New York Times.
That would presumably greatly damage his credibility as a witness and make it much harder for Trump to win his case.
BREAKING: Allen Weisselberg, a longtime lieutenant to Donald J. Trump, is negotiating a deal with Manhattan prosecutors that would require him to plead guilty to perjury, people with knowledge of the matter said.
This is in addition to his previous guilty plea/jail time. pic.twitter.com/2Hl3mmiB92
— Spiro’s Ghost (@AntiToxicPeople) February 1, 2024
This comes as “Judge Arthur Engoron is poised to rule how much money Trump and his co-defendants owe for fraud as well as whether the former president can still do business in the state,” according to CNN.
However, Thursday on CNN, legal analyst Elie Honig predicted that Engoron may delay his decision because of this hiccup.
“If I’m in Judge Engoron’s position here, and getting ready to issue a big verdict and ruling, and now I hear this … I slam on the brakes, and I say, I’m not going to rule until I know the specifics of this,” he said.
But he added that when the ruling does eventually come down, there’s no doubt Engoron will factor in Weisselberg’s lies.
“As a judge, if you’re going to issue a ruling, and if it turns out Weisselberg lied, that’s going to harm the Trump Organization when it comes time for the verdict,” he explained.
Listen:
This prompted CNN host Kaitlan Collins to ask him how this will “bode for Donald Trump himself.”
“It’s a problem for Donald Trump, because he’s going to be on the receiving end of this verdict,” Honig replied.
But on the other hand, he continued, the deal Weisselberg is working out with prosecutors doesn’t necessarily require that now testify against Trump, meaning his original testimony will still stand.
Plus, Collins argued, Weisselberg “got a $2 million severance package that required him not to cooperate with any law enforcement investigation unless he was legally required.’
Fact-check: TRUE.
“Mr. Trump’s company awarded him a $2 million severance package that required him not to cooperate with any law enforcement investigation unless legally required,” the Times notes.
Big:
NYAG’s counsel Louis Solomon digs in to the terms of Allen Weisselberg’s $2 million severance agreement, including this section on “Employee Promises.”
Solomon notes that it bars him from voluntarily cooperating.
The passage shown in court. pic.twitter.com/ccXNbkjUj3
— Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) October 12, 2023
Honig was caught completely off guard by this.
“That was stunning to me,” he said. “I’ve never heard of such a thing. It’s, I don’t think that’s enforceable to say you won’t cooperate with law enforcement. I mean, it certainly undermines what prosecutors are trying to do.”
“I mean, unless legally required? I guess that can mean a subpoena for trial or anything. But that’s a shocking detail, to put into a severance agreement, in addition to the amount. So they’re clearly, Trump and his people are trying to keep Weisselberg, in the fold here, I think, because they’re worried about him flipping.”
All this comes as Engoron is considering whether to fine Trump and his co-defendants $370 million for allegedly committing fraud.
“Engoron has already ruled that Trump has engaged in fraud and ordered the dissolution of his business empire, an action that is on hold pending Trump’s appeal. Engoron canceled business certificates for many of Trump’s entities in New York, including the Trump Organization (a sprawling entity comprised of 500 limited liability companies),” CNN notes.
“Engoron also called for a receiver to oversee the dissolution of the entities, which include buildings such as Trump Tower, 40 Wall Street and the Seven Springs family compound in Westchester County, New York,” according to CNN.
In his final upcoming rule, he’ll reportedly address six additional claims, including conspiracy, issuing false financial statements, falsifying business records, and insurance fraud.
The office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, the person who filed the original claims against Trump, argued in a final presentation that Trump had “acted with intent” to fraudulently inflate the value of his assets.
“The buck stopped with him,” Andrew Amer, a lawyer from her office, said. “Mr. Trump was certainly in the loop to review and approve the statements. The court should infer that he acted with intent to defraud based on his extensive knowledge about these assets.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
- Ric Grenell out as head of Trump-Kennedy Center, replacement named - March 14, 2026
- Kyrsten Sinema admits to multi-city sexual romps with married bodyguard - March 14, 2026
- Ilhan Omar primary challenge from anti-ICE lawyer met with skepticism - March 14, 2026
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.