The Trump Organization's longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, pleaded guilty on Monday to criminal charges — the second time he has done so regarding his connection to the former president, per The Washington Post.
Court filings showed that Weisselberg pleaded guilty to five counts of perjury in the first degree, charges which emanate from statements he made to New York Attorney General Letitia James' office. James subsequently brought a civil fraud trial against Trump, in which he was recently ordered to pay a financial penalty of over $400 million for years of conspiring to inflate his net worth. Weisselberg was found liable for $1 million in the case and was banned for life from working in the "financial control function" of any New York company, according to WaPo.
In 2021, Weisselberg was indicted alongside the Trump Organization for a scheme intended to dodge personal income taxes, with the company ultimately being convicted in 2022. The MAGA executive in 2022 pleaded guilty to over a dozen felonies.
Trump stuck by Weisselberg at the time, calling him "a fine and honorable man who, for the past 4 years, has been harassed, persecuted and threatened by law enforcement.”
University of Michigan law professor Barb McQuade stressed the importance of Weisselberg's guilty plea, writing, "Perjury and false statements cases are important to send a message that those who lie to conceal crimes will be brought to justice."
Trump CFO Weisselberg will plead guilty today to lying to investigators in NY AG’ fraud case. Perjury and false statements cases are important to send a message that those who lie to conceal crimes will be brought to justice. https://t.co/bq7O3fcMTV
— Barb McQuade (@BarbMcQuade) March 4, 2024
New York University Law Prof. Ryan Goodman added that the plea deal also "helps neutralize" Weisselberg as a potential defense witness in Trump's upcoming Manhattan criminal trial and helps "insulate $450 million civil fraud ruling on appeal."
Legal significance of former Trump Org CFO Allen Weisselberg pleading guilty to perjury:
— Ryan Goodman (@rgoodlaw) March 4, 2024
1) Helps neutralize him as potential defense witness in coming Manhattan criminal trial.
2) Helps insulate $450 million civil fraud ruling on appeal.https://t.co/HsjcSIOVoB
