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Judge in Trump fraud trial asks about possible perjury plea deal for Allen Weisselberg
The judge in former President Donald Trump’s New York civil fraud trial indicated Tuesday he’s weighing how a potential perjury charge against Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, might factor into his final ruling.
Judge Arthur Engoron wrote to lawyers for Trump and the New York Attorney General’s Office asking for guidance on how to handle a report in the New York Times last week that said Weisselberg is in talks to plead guilty to lying on the stand.
Weisselberg’s October testimony in the civil case, in which he is also a defendant, was unexpectedly cut short after Forbes published an article claiming he lied under oath.
In 2017, the magazine reported that financial statements had described Trump’s penthouse apartment in Trump Tower as much larger and worth hundreds of millions of dollars more than its true size and value.
Weisselberg testified that he “never focused” on the valuation of the triplex apartment, but the Forbes article in October said Weisselberg’s emails to reporters from years earlier showed he “played a key role” in supporting the apartment’s false valuation.
Weisselberg has been in negotiations with the Manhattan district attorney to plead guilty to perjury for the testimony, which was under oath, the New York Times reported on Feb. 1. A source with knowledge of the matter confirmed the negotiations to CBS News.
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A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment. Bragg’s office secured a previous guilty plea from Weisselberg in connection with its 2022 criminal tax fraud case against the company, in which the Trump Organization was found guilty of 17 felony counts.
James’ office declined to comment. Attorneys for the defendants did not reply to requests for comment.
While the Forbes story focused on Weisselberg’s testimony about the Trump Tower apartment, Engoron said in his letter to lawyers that “other topics could also be called into question” if Weisselberg admits to perjury. The judge indicated he might conclude that the entirety of Weisselberg’s hourslong testimony was not credible.
He gave attorneys until Wednesday at 5 p.m. to submit a letter to him “detailing anything you know about this that would not violate any of your professional ethics or obligations.”
“I would also appreciate knowing how you think I should address this matter, if at all, including the timing of the final decision,” Engoron wrote.
The judge’s ruling in the case was initially expected by Jan. 31. He has already found Trump and the other defendants liable for fraud, but has yet to rule on other related allegations that were the subject of the trial. Trump and his co-defendants have all denied wrongdoing.
Engoron’s ruling was delayed after a Jan. 26 letter from a special monitor overseeing the Trump Organization’s finances detailed shortcomings and discrepancies in the company’s recent financial disclosures.
Correction: Due to an editing error, a previous version of this story misspelled Allen Weisselberg’s first name.
A new Barbie has joined Mattel’s lineup of inclusive dolls. The first “Diwali doll” was announced by the toymaker on Friday, a few weeks shy of the Hindu holiday of Diwali, also known as the festival of lights.
The festival, which lasts for five days, is marked on Western calendars to begin on Nov. 1, but some celebrations start on Oct. 31.
The doll, created in collaboration with fashion designer Anita Dongre, features traditional elements including the lehenga skirt, floral print and golden shoes, according to Mattel’s website. The doll is available at major retailers for $40.
“The look is infused with beauty and symbolism to rejoice in victory of light over darkness with contemporary silhouettes,” the description reads for the Diwali doll.
Lalit Agarwal, country manager for Mattel India, said in a news release that through the Diwali doll, the brand is hoping to showcase “India’s vibrant cultural heritage on a global stage while continuing to celebrate the power and beauty of diversity.”
Earlier this year, Mattel announced the first-ever blind Barbie doll and a Black Barbie with Down syndrome.
In addition, to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8 and Barbie’s 65th birthday on March 9, the doll brand announced it was adding new dolls to its Role Models collection, based on real-life singers and actresses from around the world. They’re not for sale – a one-of-a-kind doll was made for each of the honored women.
The dolls are meant to introduce “girls to remarkable women’s stories to show them you can be anything,” according to Mattel.
Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves made his professional auto racing debut on Saturday at the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“The Matrix” star, who qualified 31st out of 35 cars, ran as high as 21st before a single-car crash a little more than halfway through the 45-minute race briefly stopped him in his tracks.
Darron Cummings / AP
The 60-year-old spun into the grass without a collision on the exit of Turn 9 when he had about 21 minutes of racing left. He re-entered the course and continued driving, signaling he was uninjured.
Reeves finished 25th.
The actor is competing at Indianapolis in the Toyota GR Cup, a Toyota spec-racing series and a support series for this weekend’s Indy 8 Hour sports car event. He has a second race on Sunday.
Darron Cummings / AP
He is driving the No. 92 BRZRKR car, which is promoting his graphic novel “The Book of Elsewhere.” He is teammates with Cody Jones from “Dude Perfect.”
Reeves has previous racing experience as a former participant in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach in the celebrity race. Reeves won the event in 2009.
A passenger successfully landed a small plane on Friday after the pilot had a medical emergency, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The twin-engine Beechcraft King Air 90 was traveling from Henderson Executive Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada to Monterey Regional Airport in California, with a pilot and one other person on board, the FAA said.
The pilot suffered an unspecified medical emergency while flying, the FAA said, forcing the passenger to take the controls and make an emergency landing at Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, California.
The Kern Fire Department told CBS News affiliate KBAX that firefighters were called to a report of a medical emergency on the plane. The pilot was reported to be “incapacitated,” the fire department said. Firefighters saw the plane approach and land safely, then “chased” the plane down the runway in emergency vehicles to meet it.
The FAA did not release the passenger or pilot’s identities nor give an update on the pilot’s condition. The pilot was taken to an area hospital by ambulance. The passenger did not report any injuries.
The FAA and the National Transportation Security Board will investigate the incident, the FAA said.
