Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s former chief financial officer, pleaded guilty on Thursday for his role in a years-long tax fraud scheme with ex-President Donald Trump’s company.
One guilty plea down, many to go. I still can’t believe how easy they were on Weisselberg. I hope it was worth it.
FYI, hearing regarding public disclosure of affidavit should be starting now.
Today would be a good day for Donald Trump to release his tax returns…
“Weisselberg will not have to testify against Donald Trump personally in the district attorney’s separate criminal investigation into the ex-president.”
Boy, Allen dodged a real piano there!
This is the end, not of Trump’s noise, danger, or influence–but it’s his end financially. Insert Ob “They got Capone on taxes” reference here.
We are not going to announce well in advance that Weisselberg has turned stool pigeon and will testify against the Boss. We want to first make sure he is still alive to testify against the Org.
Raw Story reported that the judge told Weaselberg that the short sentence would go out the window and he would get 15 years if he doesn’t tell the truth. A guy who cooked the books for million$ surely knows that 15 years is way more time than 100 days.
Apparently the audit is nearly ready.
Agreeing to testify against the Trump Organization but not against Trumpy personally seems to be a distinction without a difference. Trumpy is the Trump Organization and the Trump Organization is Trumpy. Trumpy must be livid that Weisselberg is doing a plea.
I’m not a lawyer, but how does one testify against the org but not the head of the snake? Weisselberg would seem to have to consult a very skilled lawyer before each and every question posed to him. Anyone?
There was more to the plea than the original story conveyed. Bringing down the Trump Organization has to hurt Trump badly. His testimony will make that task much easier.
I’ve read that it would cause the dissolution of the company and Cockhoster would have to put all of his properties in his name, making them that much easier to seize, according to David Kay Johnston.
However, I suspect he’ll try to pull some sleight-of-hand to transfer them to other people in his crime family. Whether that will work, I have no idea.
I think we all know that his creditors — who, BTW can afford white-shoe lawyers that will gladly work for them —will be on his ass like flies on shit.
So, who is ultimately culpable, if the TrumpOrg is found guilty?
What are the possible penalties?
Any actual humans pay any type of price?
Though if he did put things in the names of his children, he runs the risk of being railroaded like he railroaded his brother.
Ivanka (chilling at her residence, Mar-a-Lago): Who did you say was at the front gate? “Donald John Trump”? No, I can’t say I know who that is. Tell him to clear off or we’ll call the police for loitering.
Only humans can go to prison but there are a variety of actions that can be taken against a corporation.
This is the only good news.
As part of the plea deal with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, the executive, Allen H. Weisselberg, is required to testify at the company’s trial if prosecutors choose to call on him, and to admit his role in conspiring with Mr. Trump’s company to carry out the tax scheme. That testimony could tilt the scales against the company, the Trump Organization, as it prepares for an October trial related to the same accusations.
@teenlaqueefa But Capone was released early because he had late stage syphillis, went home to die a painful death since there was no treatment at that time.
Piano or piano wire?
P.S. Good to see you here this morning, my AZ friend.
I’m not sure he would be able to do that.
I wonder what our TPM legal team thinks?
Wild-ass guess here, which is that you almost certainly have documents that show fraud and so forth on the part of the organization, but it could be harder to prove against an individual within that organization without direct testimony from someone like Weisselberg. He’s willing to testify against the organization but not say Trump approved it or whatever. It’s still devastating.