On CNN Wednesday, tax expert and Pulitzer Prize-winning Trump biographer David Cay Johnston broke down the significance of the criminal tax investigation into Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg — and the legal implications for the former president.
"Weisselberg and the Trump family go back to the 1970s. Forty years, as we know," said anchor Erin Burnett. "A former Trump employee told CNN, 'Allen knows where all the financial bodies are buried.' Trump's former longtime attorney Jay Goldberg once told me, in terms of the money trail, 'Donald could be hurt, I believe, a great deal by Allen Weisselberg.' What do you think, David, does he stay loyal here no matter what, or does he turn on Trump?"
"Well, the trick for prosecutors here is to persuade Allen Weisselberg if he does not cooperate, he's going to die in prison," said Johnston. "What do you want to do? You want to turn on this man who you have been completely obedient to for 40 years and his father? He's so closely connected to him and browbeaten by Donald and stayed around. That's the crucial question here."
"It is entirely possible you could see Allen and Donald on trial together under the Miller Act," continued Johnston. "New York state also has a Little RICO Act, that's another likely charge to be brought. You only have to show three criminal acts to qualify for that. Finding three criminal acts of Trump's organization is about as hard as finding a traffic light in Midtown Manhattan."
Watch below:
David Cay Johnston on new Allen Weisselberg dealwww.youtube.com
