TWIT: The First Soldier Falls

credit: J. Sorensen

This week saw the first loyal Trump soldier receive a jail tern rather than rat on the Boss.  Alan Weisselburg pled to fifteen felony counts of tax evasion.  He got just 100 days in jail with time served--a sweet deal.  Not only that, he does not have to testify against Trump himself, only his company. Trump Org is charged with an alleged scheme stretching back to 2005 “to compensate Weisselberg and other Trump Organization executives in a way that was off the books." With his testimony, The Trump Organization will almost certainly be found guilty of fraud in its trial scheduled for October.

The New York judge in his case told him he will delay sentencing until after the trial of Trump Org, and that if he does not comply with his plea agreement, he would be able to sentences him for a period of 5-15 years.  Rarely do first time tax frauds get jail time, but Weisselberg received five months for his not paying $1.7 million in taxes on perks he received from Trump's company, Trump's chief accountant, who also  worked for Trump's father Fred, has to pay $2 million in back taxes, interest and penalties and waive his right to appeal his plea. Weisselberg will likely serve his 100 days on Rikers Island. 

Another Trump soldier, Rudy Guilliani, complied with the subpoena from the Fulton County special grand jury and appeared to testify in Atlanta on Wednesday.  He testified for six hours, but it probably took him that long to respond to questions put to him by pleading his right against self-incrimination. He was informed by prosecutors that he is a target of their investigation,  The grand jury is investigating interference by the Trump campaign in Georgia's 2020 election.  Perhaps the most disgusting fact about the Guilliani prosecution is that this man made his name as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York (Manhattan) busting organized crime.  It seems some of their traits rubbed off on the former law and order mayor.

credit: D. Whamond