Allen H. Weisselberg, a longtime aide to former President Donald J. Trump, reached an agreement with Manhattan prosecutors on Monday to plead guilty to perjury, according to people familiar with the matter.
But Mr. Weisselberg has long remained loyal to Mr. Trump in the face of intense pressure from prosecutors and is not expected to implicate his former boss. His unwavering loyalty has irritated prosecutors, and he has already had his freedom taken away once.
Mr. Weisselberg, 76, is now expected to admit that he lied to investigators from the New York attorney general's office when they investigated Mr. Trump for fraud. Attorney General Letitia James had accused Trump of wildly inflating his net worth to obtain favorable loans and other benefits.
The civil case recently ended with a judge imposing a hefty fine of more than $450 million with interest on the former president.
Mr. Weisselberg's attorney, Seth L. Rosenberg, could not be reached for comment.
Mr. Weisselberg's plea deal with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg came weeks before the former president was to go on trial on unrelated criminal charges. The lawsuit, also brought by Mr. Bragg, stems from hush money payments he made to a porn star on Mr. Trump's behalf during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The perjury allegations are the latest development in a fraught legal adventure for Weisselberg, who has faced multiple law enforcement agencies in both civil and criminal trials. Mr. Weisselberg, a longtime chief financial officer of Trump family businesses and a trusted financier of the former president, was considered a linchpin in efforts to engage Mr. Trump.
Mr. Weisselberg was rewarded for his loyalty to the family he had served for nearly half a century, receiving a $2 million severance package when he left Mr. Trump's company last year, but also cooperating with law enforcement investigations. I was asked not to. Legally required.
He also paid a price. He pleaded guilty in 2022 to a tax evasion case. Although he was not implicated in Trump's involvement, he agreed to testify against the former president's company, the Trump Organization, on the same charges.
The company was found guilty in the case, and Mr. Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in prison. A man of good behavior, he served nearly 100 days at the notorious Rikers Island prison.
This latest plea gives Weisselberg additional time against Rikers.
It is unclear how many charges he faces and whether they are misdemeanors or felonies.
Still, Weisselberg's plea deal comes at an inopportune time for the former president, just weeks before he is scheduled to go to trial on numerous felonies accusing him of falsifying business records related to hush-money deals with porn stars. . , Stormy Daniels. This is the first criminal prosecution of a former president, and the trial is scheduled to begin with jury selection on March 25th.
Mr. Bragg accused Mr. Trump of orchestrating a cover-up of Mr. Daniels' potential sex scandal that could have affected the outcome of the 2016 election.
A guilty plea on Monday could strengthen Mr. Bragg's stance on the trial and deter other witnesses around Mr. Trump from lying on the stand. The perjury charge could also undermine the credibility of Mr. Weisselberg, who has disputed details of prosecutors' evidence in cases related to the 2016 election.
Although Mr. Weisselberg did not commit a violent crime, prosecutors argue that the perjury undermines the broader aims of justice and cannot be ignored.
Meanwhile, Trump slammed Democrat Bragg for persecuting Weisselberg. And Mr. Trump's allies lamented that Mr. Weisselberg would have to serve prison time again in his 70s, accusing Mr. Weisselberg of lying in a civil fraud case filed by Mr. James, also a Democrat. I object.
James filed the lawsuit in 2022, which led to a trial late last year. In February, the judge presiding over the no-jury case sided with the attorney general and concluded that Trump had manipulated the value of the estate. Judge Arthur F. Engoron imposed extensive penalties, including a judgment of more than $450 million.
The focus of the lawsuit and Weisselberg's testimony is Trump's 10,996-square-foot triplex apartment in Trump Tower, which Trump's annual financial statements for years listed as 30,000 square feet. It had been.
During the investigation, Weisselberg downplayed his involvement in the triplex evaluation in a sworn statement.
Weisselberg also claimed on the witness stand at the trial that he “never focused” on the unit.
But soon after, Forbes magazine, which lists America's richest people, cited emails and memos showing that Weisselberg “played a key role in convincing Forbes magazine of the value of the apartment over several years.” An article was published.
In a recent trial, Judge Engoron concluded that Mr. Weisselberg was not a reliable witness, in part because of his severance contract, which was paid in long installments and appeared to keep Mr. Weisselberg tied to the Trump family.
“His testimony in this trial was intentionally evasive, with large gaps of 'I don't remember,'” the judge wrote in his ruling last month, adding that the severance agreement “makes his testimony highly reliable.” “sexuality has become lower,'' he added.
“The Trump Organization is holding Weisselberg on a short leash,” the judge wrote. “And that's clear.”
