An attorney representing Donald Trump responded on Wednesday to a judge’s inquiry regarding allegations of perjury against a former Trump Organization executive, labeling the request as unprecedented and inappropriate.
The response came in light of a report by The New York Times stating that Allen Weisselberg, the former Chief Financial Officer of the Trump Organization, was in talks to plead guilty to perjury, prompting Judge Arthur Engoron to seek clarification on the matter.
Trump’s attorney, Clifford Robert, contested Engoron’s request, stating it lacked a principled basis to reopen the case or question Weisselberg’s testimony. Robert clarified that the response was on behalf of all defendants except Weisselberg and another former executive, Jeffrey McConney.
Attorneys React to Judge’s Inquiry Regarding Alleged Perjury by Former Trump Organization Executive During Trial (Credits: Yahoo)
Another Trump attorney, Alina Habba, affirmed that she hadn’t discussed the issues mentioned in the New York Times article with the district attorney’s office. She cited her professional ethical obligations as a constraint against providing further details.
Trump attorney Chris Kise emphasized that court decisions should rely on trial evidence rather than media speculation.
Weisselberg’s attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and other involved parties refrained from additional comments beyond their filings.
Lead prosecutor Kevin Wallace clarified that the state attorney general’s office wasn’t directly involved in negotiations between Weisselberg and the district attorney about the perjury allegations. Wallace asserted that these developments shouldn’t delay the court’s decision and proposed measures to prevent further fraud.
Engoron contacted both parties in the case seeking clarification on Weisselberg’s status after the Times’ report. He expressed interest in knowing whether Weisselberg was admitting to perjury and whether his testimony should be disregarded in the verdict.
Weisselberg had previously pleaded guilty to different charges in a related criminal case in 2022, where he testified against the Trump Organization. Attorney General Letitia James seeks to collect significant financial penalties in the fraud case, including severance payments made to Weisselberg after his release from jail.
