Trump Org. CFO To Plead Guilty, Testify Against Company
The plea deal would require the Weisselberg speak in court Thursday about the company's role in the alleged compensation arrangement.
LEARN MORETrump Organization CFO Pleads Guilty In Tax Evasion Case
The plea bargain also requires Allen Weisselberg to testify truthfully as a prosecution witness when the Trump Organization goes on trial in October.
Trump Organization CFO Pleads Guilty In Tax Evasion Case
Yuki Iwamura / AP
August 18, 2022
A top executive at former President Donald Trump's family business pleaded guilty Thursday to evading taxes in a deal that could potentially make him a star witness against the company at a fall trial.
Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg pleaded guilty to all 15 of the charges he faced in the case. He was accused of dodging taxes on lavish fringe benefits he got from the company, including lease payments for a luxury car, rent for a Manhattan apartment and private school tuition for his grandchildren.
Weisselberg is the only person to face criminal charges so far in the Manhattan district attorney's long-running investigation of the company's business practices.
Judge Juan Manuel Merchan agreed to sentence Weisselberg to five months incarceration and five years probation at New York City's Rikers Island jail complex, although he will be eligible for release much earlier if he behaves well behind bars. The judge said Weisselberg will have to pay nearly $2 million in taxes, penalties and interest.
The plea bargain also requires Weisselberg to testify truthfully as a prosecution witness when the Trump Organization goes on trial in October on related charges. The company is accused of helping Weisselberg and other executives avoid income taxes by failing to accurately report their full compensation to the government.
Trump himself is not charged in the case.
Testimony by Weisselberg could potentially weaken the Trump Organization's defense. If convicted, the company could face fines or potentially be placed on probation and be forced to change certain business practices.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press.
Amid soaring crime, Memphis cops lowered the bar for hiring
Former Memphis police recruiters described a growing desperation to fill hundreds of slots in recent years.
By Gerald Herbert / AP3:26
Criminals now targeting zoo animals
The Dallas Zoo has dealt with a trend of vandalism and animal disappearances since January.
By Tony Gutierrez / AP4:59
Ethical concerns over bill reducing prison sentence for organ donation
Two Massachusetts legislators say shortening prisoners' sentences in exchange for organ donation would help those in need.
By Molly Riley / APTop Stories
2:45
Lawmakers demand police reform at State of the Union
Civil rights leaders say having victims of police violence in the audience on Tuesday will help humanize the issue of police brutality.
By Cliff Owen / AP2:00
President Biden's State of the Union highlights economic promises
The economy is one of the key topics President Joe Biden will touch on Tuesday during his State of the Union address.
By AP2:56
How is winter changing?
A warmer winter is preventing ice from forming on the Great Lakes, which have steadily lost ice cover since the 1970s.
By Samantha Deleo / AP