Weisselberg Changes Lawyers As Probes Continue

Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg recently changed lawyers as the probes of former President Donald Trump and his business continue.

CNN reports that some people familiar with the matter said the Trump Organization would no longer pay for Weisselberg’s previous attorney, who disagreed with company officials over the legal advice he gave the ex-CFO regarding his degree of cooperation with prosecutors investigating Trump. An attorney for the former president told the news outlet that the company did not play a role in the change and that Weisselberg made the decision in consultation with his family.

According to CNN, Seth Rosenberg was retained by Weisselberg about three weeks ago and is being paid by the Trump Organization.

Weisselberg had previously been represented by Nicholas Gravante, a New York criminal defense lawyer who cut a plea deal that required Weisselberg only serve five months in prison in exchange for pleading guilty to a tax fraud scheme that stretched back 10 years.

The change in representation comes as the Trump Organization and the former president continue to face a barrage of criminal investigations.

On Thursday, a Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Trump on charges stemming from hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election to cover up an alleged affair. The New York Times reports that Trump becomes the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges even as he makes another run for the White House.

People familiar with the investigation told CNN that as the Trump Organization continues to face investigations into the accuracy of its financial statements, prosecutors have threatened Weisselberg with fraud charges in the hopes of convincing him to cooperate with their probe.

Weisselberg, who is incarcerated at Rikers Island, worked for the Trump family for approximately 50 years, having started under Trump’s father, Fred. He was let go with a severance agreement in recent months; according to CNN, there is no indication that he is cooperating with the new investigations.

At the trial of the Trump entities, Weisselberg pleaded guilty to an off-the-books compensation scheme, but did not implicate any Trump family members.

While a jury found the Trump entities guilty and fined them $1.6 million, no member of the Trump family was charged with any wrongdoing.

According to CNN, Weisselberg is expected to be released April 19.