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Salon
Salon
Politics
Samaa Khullar

Pressure grows on Weisselberg to flip

Catherine Christian, a former Manhattan special assistant district attorney, predicted that former Trump Organization financial chief Allen Weisselberg could still play a major role in former President Donald Trump's prosecution.

Weisselberg last month switched out his company-funded lawyer for another one. That doesn't necessarily mean that Weisselberg will turn on Trump, she said, "but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck."

Weisselberg has been in Rikers Island Prison for the past four months after pleading guilty to a yearslong tax fraud scheme. Christian said that the investigation into the company's business dealings, which began under former Manhattan D.A. Cy Vance and is continuing under D.A. Alvin Bragg, is still ongoing.

"People don't believe that, but they should. So, people who were upset yesterday, and I'm not talking about people who are politically upset, who said that's all there is — this is the entire case! I have said it's not over yet. That the investigation is continuing," she said in an appearance on MSNBC. 

"Just wait. Just wait. I think there will be another chapter. It's an investigation, Clearly, the DA's office is not going to talk about the pending investigation," she added. "I think there will be more to come."

New York Times reporter Suzanne Craig added that Weisselberg could still face additional charges related to insurance fraud.

"I think you can feel the heat in his cell right now in Rikers," Craig said during the segment. "He is not gonna walk out of Rikers and just have this end. I think what prosecutors are looking to do, he's got two more weeks left. He is potentially facing insurance fraud charges that could be brought against him. I think they're using the pressure of that to get him to cooperate."

Craig also explained that if Weisselberg agrees to cooperate, he could potentially be a witness in the hush-money case too.

"We don't know right now where things are at, but the Trump Organization is paying his bills," Craig said, referencing the fact that Weisselberg is still employed at the Trump Org. "He is 75 years old. I just don't think anyone can really, except for him, understand the effect of — he would be doing — if the insurance case goes ahead against him — it's theft over $1 million. It's hard time. I think he's got some decisions to make right now about what he's going to do," she explained.

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