Attorneys for Donald Trump’s company reportedly blamed the firm’s former CFO Allen Weisselberg in the fraud and tax evasion trial’s closing arguments.
What Happened: The lawyers repeated “Weisselberg did it for Weisselberg” multiple times on Thursday to stress the point to the jury during the closing arguments, reported CBS News.
During the trial, Weisselberg reportedly testified about his tax scheme. He and two other witnesses granted immunity during prior grand jury proceedings — current company controller Jeffrey McConney and outside accountant Donald Bender — described methods used by the Trump Organization to evade taxes and payroll liability.
Trump Organization lawyer Susan Necheles said, “We are here today because of one reason, and one reason only, the greed of Allen Weisselberg.”
She recounted “over nearly 40 years of service to three generations” of Trumps by Weisselberg and said the former CFO “got greedy, and once he started, it was difficult for him to stop."
Why It Matters: The Trump Organization has denied all charges as its lawyers argued that members of his family were unaware of the actions of executives working for them, according to the report.
Weisselberg pleaded guilty and accepted prison time but did not budge on the prosecution’s attempts to persuade him to testify against the former president.
Under the executive’s deal with prosecutors, he’s required to testify truthfully and, if he does so, he faces five months in jail. Failure to comply means he could be sentenced to hard time in prison.
He’s admitted to conspiring to evade taxes through off-the-books payment methods, which involved a Manhattan apartment and leases on two vehicles.
Read Next: Trump's Tax Returns Handed Over To Congress Panel By Treasury Department
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