Far-left Judge Arthur Engoron is currently demanding details regarding potential perjury by Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg as he prepares to deliver a verdict in the civil fraud lawsuit against Trump.
The trial without a jury, reminiscent of Soviet-style proceedings, unfolded in court for 11 weeks. Judge Engoron postponed the verdict until mid-February.
The judge cited a New York Times report detailing Weisselberg’s alleged plea agreement with prosecutors, in which he will be required to confess to perjury on the witness stand in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Weisselberg will also need to admit he lied to Letitia James’ investigators as part of his plea deal with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office.
Remember that Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg was unfairly treated by left-leaning New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan after he was charged with fabricated tax offenses.
As per the indictment, Weisselberg was accused of a “sweeping and audacious” tax fraud scheme for receiving $1.7 million in illegally ‘received tax-free perks such as apartments and car leases.’
Merchan unfairly pressured Allen Weisselberg into pleading guilty or facing severe consequences.
Weisselberg agreed to plead guilty to all 15 felony tax crimes in exchange for a lighter sentence as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.
The plea agreement also mandated that Mr. Weisselberg testify as a witness.
Judge Merchan ultimately sentenced Weisselberg to five months in Rikers Island jail back in August 2022.
Prosecutors are ramping up pressure on Weisselberg once again and plan to leverage the information against Trump at the last minute in the civil fraud case.
As previously reported by CNBC:
The New York judge set to deliver a verdict in the civil business fraud trial of Donald Trump has ordered attorneys in the case to give him details about possible perjury by former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg.
Judge Arthur Engoron, in an email to the attorneys made public Tuesday, said that if Weisselberg had lied in one aspect of his testimony, the judge might disregard anything Weisselberg has said on the witness stand or to investigators.
Engoron flagged a New York Times report last week that said Weisselberg is negotiating a deal with the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office that would require him to plead guilty to perjury.
That report, which cited people with knowledge of the matter, said that Weisselberg would have to admit that he lied during his testimony at Trump’s fraud trial in Manhattan Supreme Court.
Weisselberg, 76, would also have to say he lied under oath during an interview with the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James, the Times reported.
Judge Engoron had previously ruled that Trump committed fraud and ordered the dissolution of Trump’s New York businesses. The New York appellate court stayed Engoron’s order.
Remember that progressive New York Attorney General Letitia James pursued $370 million in ‘damages’ in a fraud case without any clear victim, while also aiming to prohibit Trump and his sons from conducting any business operations in New York. She accused Trump of inflating his assets and defrauding lenders and insurance companies.
Initially, James sought $250 million in damages from Trump.
On top of pushing for a higher ‘damages’ payout from Trump, Letitia James also pursued a lifetime ban for him from the real estate industry.
In November, a Deutsche Bank executive who was involved in approving at least one of Trump’s loans testified that it’s “atypical, but not entirely unusual” to reduce a client’s asset values and still approve a loan.
Trump called the prosecution “election interference at the highest level.”
Share your thoughts by scrolling down to leave a comment.
