Allen Weisselberg perjury deal could be “big nail in the Trump civil fraud coffin,” says Andrew Weissmann

Allen Weisselberg, the former longtime chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, is negotiating a deal with Manhattan prosecutors to plead guilty to perjury, according to The New York Times.

The deal would require Weisselberg to admit that he lied while testifying at Trump’s recent civil fraud trial and in an earlier interview with the New York attorney general’s office, sources told the outlet.

The reported deal comes after a long pressure campaign by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, whose team sought Weisselberg’s cooperation in several investigations into Trump’s business and alleged election crimes. Trump is scheduled for trial in Manhattan in March in the 2016 hush-money case.

“Why has Judge Engoron not issued his decision on the Trump civil fraud? One reason could well be the news that the Trump chief financial officer may be pleading to lying to Judge Engoron in a way to help Trump,” tweeted former Mueller prosecutor Andrew Weissmann. “And the Judge is waiting for that to support his decision against DJT. This [would] be another big nail in the Trump civil fraud coffin.”

    • thesporkeffect@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      There’s a real precise window of time the wheels of justice have to finish grinding before they hit the concrete barrier at the end of the road

    • Deconceptualist@lemm.ee
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      10 months ago

      How does one reconcile that statement with the aphorism “Justice delayed is justice denied”?

      • cm0002@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        It is an aphorism after all, it’s missing a ton of nuance.

        Are we delaying justice temporarily to ensure it sticks or covers all crime that came to light late? I wouldn’t say that’s justice denied.

        Are we delaying justice temporarily to ensure it’s applied properly? I wouldn’t say that’s justice denied either

        Now if we’re talking about delaying justice as a way to cover for the defendant eg constantly delaying proceedings till people forget about it and then silently dropping it then hell yeah that’s justice denied

        • meat_popsicle
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          10 months ago

          Ken Paxton says “howdy”. Somehow, all of his trials just find endless delays.

          The US judicial system just delays justice against the rich and powerful - the rest of us get railroaded to hell.

    • lolcatnip@reddthat.com
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      10 months ago

      Tell that to the people who rot in prison for decades before being exonerated and receive little to no compensation when they’re freed (if they’re freed at all).

  • Additional_Prune@lemmy.world
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    10 months ago

    Hmm, multiple bankruptcies and lawsuits, a $25 million fraud settlement, CFO caught criming, charity fraud, four separate trials…I’m starting to think Trump and company are hinky.

  • Jaysyn@kbin.social
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    10 months ago

    Calling it now, Trump will be insolvent after Engorgon’s decision.

    Chapter 13, not Chapter 11

    • TimLovesTech (AuDHD)(he/him)@badatbeing.social
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      10 months ago

      Wouldn’t be surprised, he was rumored to be almost broke before he ran in 2016. He has made millions off his cult members, and all the foreign nationals that just wanted to fly 1/2 way around the world to spend money at a Trump hotel for “no reason”, but he has been bleeding money since losing in 2020.

      • Telorand@reddthat.com
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        10 months ago

        Not only that, but he can’t use money from his political campaign for his legal battles. I think the latest figure from the court monitor put him at having $400mil on hand (with no Trump Org business transactions in 14 months), so with all the potential fines coming, plus anyone he owes money to, he’s very likely insolvent and will have to sell off assets in a hurry or file for bankruptcy.

        …or chance it and dip into his political funds, which surely are not being watched by multiple watchdog groups. /s

        • TimLovesTech (AuDHD)(he/him)@badatbeing.social
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          10 months ago

          Yeah, he already got caught paying Stormy and the secret baby momma out of campaign funds pre-2016. And he doesn’t have any of his “people” for that kind of thing anymore because they have all gotten in legal trouble as well. But I also have to imagine after George Santos nobody would be jumping to put a bullseye on their back doing the same thing.

          • grabyourmotherskeys@lemmy.world
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            10 months ago

            “I’m going to get elected and pardon both of us if we’re caught” goes a long way with an idiot that graduated at the bottom of their class at law school and otherwise has no real future that comports with their ego.

          • Telorand@reddthat.com
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            10 months ago

            Oh, definitely. But since he’s already being strung over a barrel for fraud and has a business monitor, I’m sure that gives even him at least the tiniest pause.

        • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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          10 months ago

          Ups the ante on winning. If he wins, he’ll be untouchable as enough of Congress still remembers the flavor of his balls, and will therefore not impeach him.

        • pelespirit
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          10 months ago

          CAN LEADERSHIP PACS BE USED TO PAY LEGAL FEES?

          The answer is tricky, according to legal experts. Generally, politicians cannot spend campaign money on legal expenses unless they are tied to a campaign, but many of the investigations involving Trump relate to his conduct as president and as a political candidate.

          However, leadership PACs such as Save America also are not allowed to directly support their own candidate’s campaign. Richard Briffault, a professor at Columbia Law School and an expert on campaign finance issues who has supported Democratic candidates, said that because Trump is fighting criminal charges during a presidential campaign, it is possible that covering legal fees could be considered a benefit to his campaign.

          https://www.reuters.com/world/us/can-trump-use-political-donations-pay-legal-defense-2023-08-01/

          • Telorand@reddthat.com
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            10 months ago

            Yeah, but he would have to have a defense prepared for why using his existing PACs is legal.

            And even if it was (and I doubt it), paying off $500mil+ likely goes beyond the scope of such an allowance. NAL, but the ones I listen to think it’s not likely to succeed as a strategy.

            • pelespirit
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              10 months ago

              I don’t know why he keeps getting away with everything, it’s kind of nuts that our system is broken by him.