Jamiesfeast – Lawyers involved in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial informed the judge on Wednesday that they had no information to disclose about a crucial witness who is allegedly in negotiations to plead guilty to perjury in relation to his testimony in the case.
Judge Arthur Engoron requested both state lawyers and defense counsel to submit letters by Wednesday, providing any details they have regarding the situation involving Allen Weisselberg. Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer at the Trump Organization, is both a witness and a co-defendant in the case.
According to sources familiar with the matter, The New York Times recently revealed that Weisselberg had been engaged in discussions with the Manhattan district attorney’s office. These negotiations were centered around a potential guilty plea for perjury. It is alleged that Weisselberg intended to admit to providing false testimony during the civil fraud trial in October.
According to two sources familiar with the situation, Manhattan prosecutors are considering the possibility of charging Weisselberg with perjury. These individuals, who requested anonymity, were not authorized to disclose this information publicly.
Alina Habba, the lawyer representing Weisselberg in the civil fraud case, clarified to Engoron that she is solely focused on his defense in the civil matter. She stated that she has not been involved with any criminal matters or had any discussions with the Manhattan district attorney’s office regarding Weisselberg’s reported plea negotiations or the possibility of a perjury charge.
Habba chose not to provide any additional information, stating her professional ethical obligations. She advised the judge not to make any negative assumptions based on her inability to answer.
Engoron did not seek a response from Seth Rosenberg, the lawyer representing Weisselberg in criminal matters, when he reached out for comment. Despite repeated messages from the AP, Rosenberg has not provided a response.
Kevin Wallace, a senior enforcement counsel in the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, stated that he and other state lawyers working on the fraud case were not part of Weisselberg’s purported negotiations with the Manhattan district attorney’s office.
According to Wallace, they were not aware of which aspects of his testimony were being questioned, and they did not know if Mr. Weisselberg had admitted to providing false testimony.
Wallace provided several instances where Weisselberg’s trial testimony was contradicted by other witnesses and evidence. One such example is the former CFO’s assertion that he had limited knowledge or awareness of how Trump’s penthouse at Trump Tower was overvalued on his financial statements. The figures indicated that the penthouse was three times its actual size, measuring 10,996 square feet (1,022 square meters), according to Wallace.
Wallace stated that it comes as no surprise that Weisselberg may have lied on the witness stand. Engoron was advised not to wait for a perjury charge or plea agreement in order to question Weisselberg’s credibility and dismiss his entire testimony from the civil fraud trial.
Weisselberg spent 100 days in jail last year after being found guilty of evading taxes on $1.7 million worth of benefits from the Trump Organization. These perks included a luxurious Manhattan apartment, Mercedes-Benz cars for himself and his wife, and school tuition for his grandchildren. Currently, Weisselberg is on probation, and his legal expenses are being covered by Trump.
Facing a perjury charge could potentially send Weisselberg, 76, back to prison. In the state of New York, perjury, which involves providing false testimony, is classified as a felony and carries a maximum sentence of seven years incarceration.
Wallace advised Engoron not to postpone the civil fraud verdict, as it would inadvertently reward Weisselberg and other co-defendants, including Trump, for potentially providing false testimony. Court officials have indicated that Engoron’s decision in the case, which centers on accusations of Trump exaggerating his assets to deceive banks, insurers, and others, is expected to be announced by mid-February.
James is seeking a minimum of $370 million in penalties, along with other forms of punishment, for Trump, his company, and other defendants. She is pushing for Weisselberg to be permanently banned from the New York real estate industry and corporate executive positions within the state. Additionally, she wants him to relinquish his $2 million Trump Organization severance.
Wallace, in his statement, acknowledges the lack of credibility of the defendant who has a history of falsifying business documents and has previously been to prison. He expresses no surprise if the defendant has also committed perjury during the current proceeding or the preceding investigation. Wallace believes that if these allegations are true, the defendant should be held fully accountable for his actions. However, he emphasizes that these allegations should not impede or postpone the final decision and judgment in the case.
The defense lawyers expressed their concerns about the judge’s request, considering it to be unprecedented, inappropriate, and troubling. They referred to the Times’ story as a speculative media account.
Trump lawyer Christopher Kise dismissed concerns about Weisselberg’s testimony as mere hype, indicating that they were intended to generate media attention and divert attention away from weaknesses in the state’s case.
According to Kise, court decisions should be made based on the evidence presented during the trial, rather than being influenced by media speculation.
The investigation into Weisselberg’s testimony in the civil lawsuit is distinct from the criminal case initiated by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg against Trump in the previous year. The allegations in the criminal case revolve around Trump’s alleged falsification of company records to conceal hush money payments. The trial for this case is scheduled to commence in late March, and Trump is anticipated to attend a final pretrial hearing on February 15th.