In his own statement, Mr. Bragg emphasized that the plea “directly implicates the Trump Organization in a wide range of criminal activity,” adding that, “We look forward to proving our case in court against the Trump Organization.”
Understand the Cases Against Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Organization

Card 1 of 5Understand the Cases Against Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Organization

Who is Allen H. Weisselberg? Mr. Weisselberg was the Trump Organization’s longtime chief financial officer and for decades, one of former President Donald J. Trump’s most trusted executives. He entered the Trump orbit as a junior bookkeeper for Mr. Trump’s father and climbed the ranks in the decades that followed.




Understand the Cases Against Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Organization

What is he accused of? Mr. Weisselberg and the Trump Organization were both charged with participating in a 15-year tax-evasion scheme starting in 2005 to help executives avoid taxes by compensating them with perks and bonuses that were kept off the books. The charges were the result of an ongoing investigation of Mr. Trump and his company by the Manhattan district attorney.




Understand the Cases Against Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Organization

Was Mr. Trump also charged? No. Although the former president is entwined with the Trump Organization, the indictment, which was unsealed last summer, did not accuse him of wrongdoing. No employee other than Mr. Weisselberg was charged.




Understand the Cases Against Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Organization

What are the implications for Mr. Weisselberg? Mr. Weisselberg has agreed to a plea deal with Manhattan prosecutors, and he is expected to receive a five-month jail term and spend about 100 days behind bars. The deal, which required him to plead guilty to 15 felonies, could put the Trump Organization at a disadvantage at its own trial in October, where the executive is expected to be a central witness.




Understand the Cases Against Allen Weisselberg and the Trump Organization

What does this mean for the Trump Organization? Mr. Weisselberg is not expected to implicate Mr. Trump or his family when he takes the stand in October. But his admission of guilt will undercut any effort by the company’s lawyers to contend that no crime was committed. If convicted, Mr. Trump’s company could face steep fines or other penalties as well as a fallout from its business partners.







Addressing the benefits Mr. Weisselberg received, Mr. Bragg said, “Instead of paying his fair share like everyone else, Weisselberg had the Trump Organization provide him with a rent-free apartment, expensive cars, private school tuition for his grandchildren and new furniture — all without paying required taxes.”
His plea comes as a number of other investigations swirl around the former president related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election and his handling of sensitive documents after he left the White House. Last week, F.B.I. agents searched his Florida home, a stunning move that underscores the extent of Mr. Trump’s legal jeopardy.
In a statement, the Trump Organization called Mr. Weisselberg “a fine and honorable man who, for the past four years, has been harassed, persecuted and threatened by law enforcement, particularly the Manhattan district attorney, in their never ending, politically motivated quest to get President Trump.” Mr. Weisselberg, the statement added, “in an effort to put this matter behind him and get on with his life, decided that the best course of action — for himself and his family — was to plead guilty.”
Explaining the decision by two Trump Organization entities, the Trump Corporation and Trump Payroll Corp, not to plead guilty, the statement attributed it to, “the simple reason that they have done nothing wrong.”
Mr. Trump is also the subject of a civil investigation being conducted by the New York State attorney general, Letitia James. That inquiry is focused on whether Mr. Trump fraudulently inflated the value of his hotels, golf clubs and other assets to obtain loans.

Source: New York Times

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