N.Y. prosecutor just got 'a heck of a lot' more leverage on Trump in criminal case: expert

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg just got a huge gift with the potential perjury guilty plea of former Trump Organization chief accountant Allen Weisselberg, former federal prosecutor Renato Mariotti argued on MSNBC Thursday.

Bragg is prosecuting a criminal business fraud case against the former president, stemming from his alleged concealment of hush payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

"Your reaction to this news?" asked anchor Katie Phang, herself an attorney. "I guess timing is everything, right? We are waiting for Judge Arthur Engoron to issue his ruling on the remaining counts that were under trial the last few weeks. Do you think that's why we haven't received anything yet from Justice Engoron?"

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"That's a great question," said Mariotti. "I think he's probably taking his time on that opinion because it's an important one. It's very consequential."

"Really, I think, regarding this news, what I would just say is that you have to know that Allen Weisselberg is giving Alvin Bragg and his team a heck of a lot. Realistically, a prosecutor putting a witness up for the prosecution who's pleading guilty to perjury, you know, that's not going to be a very attractive witness."

The between-the-lines takeaway, Mariotti reminded Phang, is that "in order for that witness to be worth the time, they've got to be giving up something really important. That's what I think is really the news here."

Watch the video below or at the link here.

Renato Mariotti on Weisselberg perjury pleawww.youtube.com