Attorneys for former President Donald Trump in his $370 million civil fraud trial Wednesday called Judge Arthur Engoron’s demand for information about Allen Weisselberg’s potential perjury plea deal “unprecedented, inappropriate and troubling."
Engoron Monday demanded information about a New York Times report that Weisselberg may have perjured himself during testimony given in the civil fraud trial, but attorney Clifford Robert retorted he had no reason to do so.
“The Article simply does not provide any principled basis for the Court to reopen the record or question the veracity of Mr. Weisselberg's testimony in this case,” Robert wrote in the letter, which later appeared in New York's court record database.
ALSO READ: Alina Habba is persona non grata at her Pennsylvania law school
“Indeed, we respectfully submit that the Court's request for comment on this speculative media account is unprecedented, inappropriate and troubling.”
Attorney Alina Habba told the court she conferred with her "ethics counsel" and was advised not to provide further detail.
"The New York Times article is neither admissible nor reliable," Habba contended, "and it should not be considered in Your Honor’s determination as to the merits of this case."
Political analysts at the “Mueller, She Wrote podcast dubbed Robert's reply "crazy."
"He's complaining about the court relying on news stories for the case, but Engoron asked for INFORMATION about it," the podcasters wrote. "WOW."
The New York Attorney General’s office also responded Wednesday, saying they knew nothing of Weisselberg’s reported negotiations with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and urging Engoron to issue a ruling swiftly.
Trump, who denies wrongdoing, was found liable for fraud by inflating Trump Organization asset values before the trial began.
Now Engoron is tasked with assessing damages Trump and his co-defendants, who include Weisselberg, should pay.
“I of course want to know whether Mr. Weisselberg is now changing his tune, and whether he is admitting he lied under oath in my courtroom at this trial,” Engoron said in a letter on Monday. "I do not want to ignore anything in a case of this magnitude."