Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg on Thursday pleaded guilty to tax violations and admitted to helping run a years-long tax fraud scheme at the former president’s business. Why it matters: Weisselberg's testimony may put him front and center at a future trial in the criminal case against the Trump Organization, where he will have to testify about his role in the elaborate scheme. Driving the news: Weisselberg on Thursday admitted to all 15 felonies that prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney’s office accused him of, but steered away from Trump and his family. Weisselberg has refused to cooperate with prosecutors in their investigation into Trump and his family, the New York Times notes. The big picture: Last year, the Manhattan district attorney’s office charged Weisselberg and the Trump family business for taking more than $1.7 million in "off the books" compensation from the organization. Details:Under the terms of the plea deal, Weisselberg, who was facing up to 15 years in prison, will serve five months as well as five years of probation, AP reported. With time credited for good behavior, he is expected to be in prison for about 100 days, the New York Times reported. Weisselberg must also pay nearly $2 million in taxes, penalties and interest, per AP. Under the plea deal, Weisselberg must also testify as a prosecution witness at the forthcoming trial for the Trump Organization, per AP. Prosecutors alleged that the scheme allowed Weisselberg to skirt paying taxes on rent and private school tuition, per the Times.
I haven't seen evidence that DOJ were the ones leaking. The initial execution of the warrant was leaked by Donald Trump himself. So obviously he doesn't mind the incident being in the public.
Maybe they will find that secret document Where it shows who shot that dudes brother in Travis heights you know drive by shootings in Travis heights and circle C are real serious @J.R. @Os Trigonum
Trump really needed to know where all of America’s foreign assets were when he left office. Not guilty.
LMAO Feds Used WhatsApp to Seek Warrant for ‘Contraband, Fruits of a Crime, or Other Items Illegally Possessed’ at Mar-a-Lago: Unsealed Document https://lawandcrime.com/trump/feds-...ly-possessed-at-mar-a-lago-unsealed-document/
Trump got busted because of WhatsApp? If that's true he's even more of an idiot than anyone imagined.
Right. This guy's really grasping for straws. It's sad. Either he is very dull, or he's trying to gaslight whoever is dumb enough to follow him.
Except that Trump himself signed into law S.139 which specifically made holding onto classified information a crime subject to fines and or jail time. This was a rushed law made in response to Republican anger over the lack of charges of Hillary Clinton. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/08/10/trump-fbi-search-surveillance-law/ “Whoever, being an officer, employee, contractor, or consultant of the United States, and, by virtue of his office, employment, position, or contract, becomes possessed of documents or materials containing classified information of the United States, knowingly removes such documents or materials without authority and with the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both.”
I suppose they might argue that “knowingly removes such documents or materials without authority” simply doesn’t apply — because as President he has the “authority” to do so.
They could but then that would apply retroactively to Bill Clinton and Obama also who they are trying to whatabout. Even more so to those presidents since S.139 didn't exist when they left office. That argument also falls apart if we accept their other arguments that these were personal documents and or that they were blanket declassified. Those arguments are in conflict. How can you claim you know what was in those documents while simultaneously claim you didn't know that they were classified? Also an ex-president doesn't have any authority to claim or declassify classified documents.
Goal posts will now be moved ... Redactions will now need to be un-redacted ... then ... Hillary emails on a Hunter laptop in a Benghazi repair shop
@EddieWasSnubbed said it best. They are just desperately grasping at straws. It seems pretty cut and dry based on what we know. Unless some new information comes out, there really isn't a legitimate defense
I think it's true that both parties weaponize laws and institutions against the other party whenever they can. One question - what about the argument that as President, you can basically declassify anything as you please, and by taking the stuff to the private residence, while still being President, he did just that? Is that an argument his side is making?
They did try. 1. Even if declassified, the stuff doesn't belong to the president. It isn't his property no matter what. 2. There are procedures and actions needed to officially declassify some things. Trump didn't go through those as far as anyone could tell. The Justice Department would have been able to verify before asking for the warrant. Trump can't retroactively declassify anything, especially SCI classified material.
