'Who paid the $2M Allen owed the government': Michael Cohen wants to know what Weisselberg got for taking the fall
Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen spoke to Nicolle Wallace about the Trump Org. CFO, Allen Weisselberg, being sent to Rikers Island Prison on Tuesday and wondered what the Trump employee was scoring for taking the fall.
Cohen began by saying that he anticipates he'll be speaking to District Attorney Alvin Bragg in short order, despite spending the last several years offering Bragg's office a wealth of information about Trump and any possible financial information he knew about while working for Trump.
"Remember, Allen is not the only one that received these sorts of benefits," Cohen said. "Other executives received similar benefits as well. Allen Weisselberg was as close to being CEO as anybody else that was there. More so even than the children. When Donald ended up moving to D.C. and they put the Trump org allegedly in trust. One of the issues was who was going to sign every single check. The answer was clear, everybody knew who it was going to be in advance. That was Allen Weisselberg, the trustee of the trust. He had been with Donald, for decades."
He explained that Weisselberg wasn't a CPA, rather he was the "bookkeeper" for Trump. He only rose to prominence in the Trump Org because he did whatever Trump told him to do.
"I'll give you an example: Weisselberg made a comment that he told the jurors he betrayed the Trump family's trust by conspiring with a subordinate to hide a decade's worth of extras, including the free Manhattan apartment you talked about, luxury cars, and his grandchildren's private school tuition," Cohen continued. So, let me be clear, the apartment his son was living in is owned by Donald and the vehicles that were leased were leased off of the Trump account. As well as the Trump tuition, the children's tuition that was paid for from the Trump Organization."
He said that it's not known whose idea it was to do something like that, but in the end, it doesn't matter because all of them were involved in the scheme, including the former president.
"Whose decision it is to go rob the bank is irrelevant from the guy who's behind the steering wheel to the guy inside the bank," said Cohen. "It's all part of the scheme and Donald was involved from inception to execution.
Wallace asked what Weisselberg is hiding for Trump and why.
"It's money. Who paid the $2 million that Allen owed back to the government?" Cohen asked. "Whether or not Allen received the half a million dollar bonus that he routinely got for Christmas? And what else is being promised to him in the future."
He went on to say that something Trump learned from the situation with Cohen, is "the worst thing you can do is have somebody who is as close to Donald as I was — more so Allen Weisselberg— being in opposition the way I am."
Cohen also said that he didn't think the jury believed Weisselberg was being honest, nor did the judge. Still, however, all he got was five months.
He closed by saying that based on what is known about Weisselberg, and that he lied under oath, Americans aren't going to be satisfied with this being the end of the 15-year Trump fraud scheme.
See the interview below or at the link here.
Cohen on Weisselberg youtu.be