Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has reportedly begun to pressure former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to flip on Trump as part of his escalating investigation into the former president’s hush money payments to an adult film star during his 2016 campaign.
Meanwhile, a related Beast exclusive.
Excerpts:
Former President Donald Trump’s family company—notorious for stiffing contractors and dodging bills—has paid the $1.6 million fine it received for its tax fraud conviction in December.
The New York County Clerk received the payment in two separate checks on Jan. 24, according to a clerk who confirmed matter-of-factly that the checks didn’t bounce.
The Trump Organization remains in hot water. New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit to kill the corporation and seize its assets for defrauding banks, a case that’s set for trial in October.
Bragg screwed this up as soon as he got in office. Now he’s trying to make up for his pussyfooting by finding a patsy. Good luck with that, especially after losing the two top prosecutors who could’ve brought this case, probably successfully.
Wonder how Weisselberg is liking the food at Rikers
Obviously TMFWWNBN’s check didn’t arrive on time, or bounced, so Bragg now has to pretend to do something.
pressure former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to flip on Trump
If I’m Weisselberg the response would be be two-fold:
The pressure on Weisselberg is obviously an effort to get him to cooperate against Trump. His [ETA: Weisselberg’s] trial testimony in the Trump Org criminal case was that he alone was responsible for the tax fraud. It was an obvious lie, but they’re not likely to nail Fat Donnie for the fraud without Weisselberg’s testimony that he did it at Donnie’s direction. This is not searching for a patsy. It’s searching for Donnie.
This might be the nicest thing Trump has ever done, pay his judgement.
Rumor is that the Trump Organization has restructured into a cement-shoes manufacturer on Staten Island.
The mac 'n cheese is supposed to be killer.
Yep, fairly normal practice here, and I’m not sure why people would think Weisselberg being told he could be charged with other crimes would be obviously ineffective. I mean has to be a shock to the system for someone like him to be sitting where he is right now and being told we’re considering charging you with crimes that could land you with years of this is potentially extremely motivating.
None of it made sense, him getting six months and Donald skating, even though Donald always skates. Enough already.
By my count, there are at least five active/imminent grand jury investigations into Trump’s various illegalities:
Fulton County, GA for soliciting the election interference (which I still don’t see how it would be a felony under GA law, but I reserve the right to change my mind if/when we see the indictment).
Manhattan DA for the Stormy Daniels shenanigans and maybe additional tax fraud.
D.C. federal grand jury for the documents obstruction case (which, interestingly, is proceeding there and not in S.D. Fla.).
D.C. federal grand jury on the fake electors fraud conspiracy.
D.C. federal grand jury on the obstruction via insurrection conspiracy.
Items 4 and 5 may be the same grand jury, or may be multiple grand juries, but they are likely being handled separately. Either way, that’s a lot of crimes!
Am I glad that Alvin Bragg is turning up the heat on Weisselberg? YES.
Is Alvin Bragg very, very late in turning up the heat? YES, VERY, VERY LATE.
Doe that piss me off? YES, IT REALLY PISSES ME OFF!
Assuming the Trump org is following the “family” playbook, Weisselberg will be willing to do whatever time he has to, to protect his. The well being of his wife, children and grandchildren is probably still tied to Trump. It would explain his reluctance to cut a better deal originally. he could have easily skated with no time if he just served up Trump on a silver platter.
5-6 months in Rikers was a tolerable price to pay for a lifetime of continuing to suck on the Trump teat. Whether he’s willing to die in prison for Fat Donnie may be a very different question.
I suspect you are right, TX. Giving Weisselberg a taste of Riker’s and then threatening to keep him there until he is 90 or dead could be very motivating. He likely has gotten all he will get from Trump at this point.
Prosecutors from Bragg’s office have advised Weisselberg, who is serving a five-month jail sentence for tax fraud, that unless he cooperates they are prepared to file new charges against him for insurance fraud, according to a person familiar with the matter.
“according to a person familiar with the matter”. So who leaked it? Unlike the feds re mar-al-stinko, I could see political benefit to Bragg’s office leaking that they’re actually* doing something, after having famously dropped the ball that Vance handed them.
*whether or not you believe this will go anywhere, it still benefits Bragg politically
Go Big or Go Home!?
Weisselberg’s testimony at trial was that he was no longer CFO, but was still drawing full salary and expected to receive his customary $500k bonus at YE 2022. Trump needs to continue paying Weisselberg to keep him quiet. And the moment Weisselberg flips, he’ll be both cut off and denounced as a crook who was stealing from Trump all along.
Defense counsel. It’s always defense counsel, setting public expectations for when the actual charges come.