Allen Weisselberg is ready to take a deal for tax fraud — but still won't flip on Trump: report

On Monday, The New York Times reported that longtime Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg is nearing a plea agreement with prosecutors in Manhattan — but that he is still unwilling to cooperate with investigators against his former boss.

"His plea deal, if finalized, would bring prosecutors no closer to indicting the former president but would nonetheless brand one of his most trusted lieutenants a felon," reported Ben Protess, William K. Rashbaum, and Jonah E. Bromwich. "On Monday, Mr. Weisselberg’s lawyers and prosecutors met with the judge overseeing the case, according to a court database. The judge scheduled a hearing for Thursday in Mr. Weisselberg’s case, a possible indication that a deal has been reached and a plea could be entered then."

"While Mr. Weisselberg, 75, is facing financial penalties as well as years in prison if convicted at trial, a plea deal would scrap a high-profile trial and most likely would spare him from a lengthy sentence," said the report. "One person with knowledge of the matter said that Mr. Weisselberg was expected to receive a five-month prison sentence, an unexpectedly favorable outcome for him."

"The other terms of Mr. Weisselberg’s deal were not clear, and his lawyer, Nicholas A. Gravante Jr., confirmed that he was in discussions with prosecutors, but declined to discuss the specifics," the report continued. "Another lawyer for Mr. Weisselberg, Mary E. Mulligan, declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg."

The prosecution of Weisselberg came out of an investigation into the finances of the Trump Organization, which allegedly kept two sets of books, giving a higher valuation of their assets to banks when seeking a loan, and a lower valuation to the IRS to avoid paying taxes.

"The plea negotiations with Mr. Weisselberg came to light after a New York State judge, Juan Merchan, last week declined to toss out the criminal case against the Trump Organization and Mr. Weisselberg," the report added. "The attorney general, Letitia James, a Democrat, is conducting a civil inquiry into some of the same conduct that the district attorney is investigating."

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