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Longtime senior Donald Former President Trump's family business executive expected to plead guilty to collusion with company in 15 years of tax evasion.
Allen Weisselberg, former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization plans to file a petition before Judge Juan Marchan in New York State Court in Manhattan.
Although he may be called upon to testify against the Trump organization at trial, he is not expected to cooperate with Manhattan prosecutors, including in Trump's own larger investigation.
}Last year, a grand jury indicted 75-year-old Weisselberg for hiding $1.76 million in "off-the-books" income.
This included the rent for a Manhattan apartment, the lease of two Mercedes-Benz cars, and his family's school fees, which Trump himself signed for school fees.
Weisselberg said he would likely be sentenced to five months in prison and could be released after about 100 days, another person familiar with the matter said. .
Rather than plead guilty, this is the state he may face if convicted of charges such as grand theft, conspiracy to defraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion. Much shorter than many years in prison. , and falsification of business records.
Weisselberg is expected to plead guilty to all charges facing him, his second person said.
A spokesman for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment. A lawyer for Weisselberg and a spokeswoman for the Trump Organization declined to comment.
Last Friday, Merchan rejected the defense's motion to dismiss the charges, arguing that the defendant was "selectively prosecuted" and that he failed to challenge his longtime boss Weisselberg. denied the allegation that it was targeted.
Trump's companies manage golf clubs, hotels and other real estate around the world.
The company has pleaded not guilty and could face fines and other penalties if found guilty at trial.
Jury selection will begin on his October 24th, 15 days before the November 8th midterm elections. In the midterm elections, Trump's Republicans hope to retake both houses of Congress from Democrats.
Mr. Trump has not been indicted and it is not yet clear whether he plans to run for the White House again in 2024.
Mr. Weisselberg has worked for Mr. Trump for nearly half a century. Bragg became district attorney in January, although the indictment stemmed from an investigation by former Manhattan district attorney Cyrus Vance. After that I lost momentum.
Two of his prosecutors who were leading the investigation resigned in his February, and one said Trump should be indicted for felony charges, but Mr Bragg raised his suspicions.
Trump faces many other legal battles.
Last week, FBI agents searched the former US president's home for classified documents and other documents from his tenure.
Two days later, Mr. Trump was deposed in a civil investigation into his business by New York Attorney General Letitia James, citing his Fifth Amendment right to self-incrimination. , repeatedly refused to answer questions. (Reporting by Karen Freifeld, New York; Editing by Alistair Bell)
