Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg takes stand in tax fraud trial
NEW YORK -- Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg took the stand in the company's tax fraud trial Tuesday.
The Trump Payroll Corporation and Trump Corporation are accused of a 15-year scheme by top leaders to avoid paying taxes on fringe benefits given to senior executives.
As CBS2's Alice Gainer reports, the prosecution's 75-year-old star witness may be the former CFO of the Trump Organization but he revealed in court, he's still on the payroll, making $640,000 a year.
As for whether he'll still receive his $500,000 bonus, he said in court, "I don't know yet."
A birthday party was even organized for him at Trump Tower after his plea deal was finalized.
After he pleaded guilty in August, the Trump Organization called him a "long-time, trusted employee" and accused the Manhattan District Attorney of harassing him in a politically motivated quest.
As part of his plea deal, Weisselberg pleaded guilty to 15 counts of fraud and tax evasion, admitting to receiving more than $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation like Mercedes cars, private school tuition and an apartment on Manhattan's Riverside Drive, the lease signed by former president Donald Trump.
He told the court this benefited the company because it reduced his commute, allowing him to work longer hours. He also told the court he knew his W2s were false.
The defense claims the company isn't at fault, repeating a line from its opening statement: "Weisselberg did it for Weisselberg."
Deborah Tarasoff, who worked in the accounting department, testified operations chief Matthew Calamari Sr. and Weisselberg directed her to cut checks for Mercedes cars for them and their wives.
She said Trump signed checks from his personal account to pay for private school tuition for Weisselberg's grandkids, but that she never had a conversation about it with Trump because "if he didn't want to sign them, he wasn't going to sign it."
Weisselberg will be back on the stand when the trial resumes Thursday. If he does everything required of him under the plea deal, he'll get five months of incarceration.
If convicted, the Trump Organization could be fined more than $1 million.
