Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg takes the stand in criminal case against company
Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg took the stand to testify against the former president's company in a criminal tax fraud case.
A longtime executive at the Trump Organization took the witness stand Tuesday for the first time to testify against his employer in a criminal tax fraud case against the company, telling jurors that Donald Trump had been aware of the unusual pay structure for high-level employees.
Former Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg, prosecutors’ star witness in their case against Trump's company, described his role in a scheme that he said allowed the company and executives like him to cheat on taxes. He also told jurors that he pleaded guilty in August and was testifying as part of his plea agreement.
Weisselberg, 75, said Trump was aware that compensation for executives included perks such as apartments and luxury cars in lieu of extra salary.
He also acknowledged that he didn’t pay taxes on those perks, adding that the pay structure saved the Trump Organization money in payroll taxes that it otherwise would have paid, a key claim in prosecutors’ case against the company.
Weisselberg was the biggest beneficiary of the tax scheme. Court filings say he received $1.76 million in “indirect employee compensation,” including a rent-free apartment, expensive cars, private school tuition for his grandchildren and new furniture.
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