The judge presiding over Donald J. Trump’s civil fraud case has expressed doubts about the truthfulness of a key witness, raising the possibility of perjury during the former president’s trial. Arthur F. Engoron has questioned Allen H. Weisselberg, Trump’s long-time chief financial officer, and his testimony during the trial. Weisselberg and Trump are both facing charges brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James in the civil fraud case. Engoron cited a recent New York Times article, which reported on a potential agreement between Weisselberg and the Manhattan district attorney’s office, requiring him to plead guilty to perjury for his testimony.
In response to the revelation, Engoron has asked both sides in the case to address Mr. Weisselberg’s alleged perjury and has considered the negotiations for a potential plea deal in his final ruling. The implications of Weisselberg’s legal situation have far-reaching consequences for both him and Trump, with substantial fines and the potential disqualification of Trump from running his family business at stake. The ethical and political ramifications of the situation have become increasingly complex as the case approaches a decision from Engoron.
The district attorney and the attorney general are preparing to put Trump on trial next month for criminal charges related to a hush-money payment to a porn star. In addition to the negative implications for Weisselberg, Trump’s legal team has denounced the district attorney’s pursuit of Weisselberg as a politically motivated attack to undermine Trump’s position in the Republican presidential nomination race. Conversely, prosecutors argue that allowing perjury to go unpunished would significantly damage the integrity of the criminal justice system.
