The Trump Organization’s former chief financial officer has hired new lawyers as he prepares to face trial on felony charges related to an alleged tax fraud scheme, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Allen Weisselberg was indicted by a New York grand jury last year on charges stemming from a lengthy investigation into whether he and other Trump Organization executives had illegally avoided paying taxes on expensive benefits given to employees, including luxury vehicles, private school tuition, and the use of apartments.
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Weisselberg reportedly retained attorney Nicholas Gravante, Jr. of the prominent white-shoe law firm Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP. Gravante previously represented former Trump Organization employees Matthew Calamari and his son, Matthew Calamari, Jr., as they were being investigated on similar perk-related tax evasion allegations.
Along with hiring Gravante, the ex-CFO reportedly fired former Andrew Cuomo attorney Rita Glavin, who previously represented him. Glavin was Cuomo’s personal lawyer as the disgraced New York governor faced accusations of serial sexual misconduct, which led to his resignation in August 2021 but have continued to cause him legal trouble since then.
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Weisselberg and the Trump Organization have accused prosecutors in the case, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, of pursuing charges against them for political purposes. James and Bragg, both Democrats, have repeatedly pursued investigations into former President Donald Trump and his businesses that critics have said are politically motivated.
One of the charges Weisselberg faces, grand larceny, is a Class C felony in New York that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Weisselberg and the Trump Organization have pleaded not guilty to all the charges. A judge has said the trial will be held at an undetermined date in the fall.
