NEW YORK – Allen Weisselberg, former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, pleaded guilty Thursday to all 15 criminal charges in a scheme that paid him lavish corporate benefits in off-the-books payments from the Trump Organization without paying taxes on the perks.
The deal with the Manhattan district attorney’s office, requires him to testify truthfully about the scheme, if called as a government witness at the pending trial of the Trump Organization, which has also been charged in the scheme. But the agreement does not require Weisselberg to cooperate with prosecutors against former President Donald Trump himself, who has not been charged.
The agreement also requires Weisselberg, 75, to pay nearly $2 million in New York state and city taxes and penalties.
Weisselberg’s defense lawyer, Nicholas Gravante, said in a statement that entering the plea was one of the most difficult decisions of Weisselberg’s life. But Gravante said Weisselberg, a longtime trusted lieutenant to Trump, wanted to end “the years-long legal and personal nightmares it has caused for him and his family.”
“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,” the statement said.
Behind Weisselberg’s plea deal
The guilty plea resulted from negotiations with the Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office after Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan denied a pretrial defense motion to dismiss the charges.
“Today Allen Weisselberg admitted in Court that he used his position at the Trump Organization to bilk taxpayers and enrich himself,” Bragg said in a statement.
Bragg said the plea deal “directly implicates the Trump Organization in a wide range of criminal activity and requires Weisselberg to provide invaluable testimony” in the upcoming trial against the company.
Weisselberg’s sentencing will be delayed until after the trial of the Trump Organization. If he fulfills all parts of the deal, including waiving the right to appeal, he’s expected to be sentenced to five months’ jail time, followed by five years of probation. He would likely be freed earlier based on good behavior while incarcerated.
If he doesn’t live up to the agreement, Weisselberg could face a 15-year maximum prison sentence on the top criminal charge in the case.
Weisselberg entered the plea after Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Manuel Merchan outlined each of the 15 criminal charges and asked if the allegations were true. Weisselberg, seated at the courtroom’s defense table, quietly acknowledged his guilt on each count.
Weisselberg indicted in July 2021
A July 2021 indictment accused Weisselberg of being part of a scheme that operated from 2005 through mid-2021 and enabled him to collect untaxed benefits from the Trump Organization. The benefits allegedly included rent, utilities and garage expenses for an apartment on Manhattan’s West Side.
In all, the indictment alleged that Weisselberg received $1.76 million in “off the books” compensation, saving him from paying thousands of dollars in federal, state and city taxes.