Friday 19 August 2022 02:28 AM Trump CFO Weisselberg flipped after being spooked by Mar-a-Lago raid and ... trends now
Allen Weisselberg - a longtime loyal lieutenant to Donald Trump - flipped after he became spooked by the Mar-a-Lago raid and January 6 hearings, fearing he may receive years in jail if he failed to beat tax evasion allegations.
About one month before his indictment, prosecutors suggested that if he did not cooperate, one of his son's might also face charges that could land them in jail - with him possibly facing additional charges himself.
But now, having agreed to testify in an upcoming trial of the former president's company, he will probably serve no more than 100 days.
Weisselberg, 75, took the deal on Thursday, pleading guilty to 15 counts, including tax fraud and larceny.
Trump Organization's former Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, second from right, sits with his attorneys, including Mary Mulligan, in a New York courtroom, on Thursday
The Trump Organization seemed to have no hard feelings, calling Weisselberg a 'fine and honorable man' who has been 'harassed, persecuted and threatened by law enforcement'
In recent weeks, Weisselberg who had been fighting the charges for more than a year became concerned he may not receive a fair trial in front of a Manhattan jury, according to Bloomberg.
Despite preparing for a possible trial for months things moved quickly in the past couple of weeks after Wiesselberg's confidence was suddenly shaken following the January 6 hearings and then the raid at Trump's Mar-a-Lago.
Days later, the president took the Fifth invoking his constitutional right against self-incrimination in a civil deposition by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
A judge threw out Weisselberg's request for the charges brought by the Manhattan district attorney to be dismissed.
A new round of discussions then began with prosecutors who had been pushing for a 15-year jail term.
Allen Howard Weisselberg, the former Trump Organization CFO, sits in New York State Supreme Court with his lawyers Nicholas Gravante and Mary Mulligan, as he pleads guilty
His confidence in beating the charges was shaken following the January 6 hearings and then the raid at Trump's Mar-a-Lago, pictured above
Instead, in exchange for a guilty plea on all 15 counts they suggested a far more lenient sentence of as little as 100 days on Rikers Island.
'In one of the most difficult decisions of his life, Mr. Weisselberg decided to enter a plea of guilty today to put an end to this case and the years-long legal and personal nightmares it has caused for him and his family,' his attorney, Nicholas Gravante, said in a statement.
'Rather than risk the possibility of 15 years in prison, he has agreed to serve 100 days. We are glad to have this behind him.'
Weisselberg may potentially going be the star witness against the Trump Organization in a trial over what prosecutors say was a 'sweeping and audacious' scheme by the company to help top executives, including Weisselberg, avoid taxes on perks like luxury cars and rent-free apartments.
Among those perks: The Trump Organization paid the rent on his Upper West Side Manhattan apartment, covered private school tuition for his grandchildren, leased Mercedes-Benz cars for him and his wife, gave him cash
