Allen Weisselberg testified Friday that after learning he had been filing his taxes incorrectly, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump did nothing to punish him and instead handed him a raise to make up the difference.
Weisselberg, 75, said during his third and last day of testimony in the criminal trial of the Trump family business in New York City that the Trump brothers learned of his off-the-books benefits and incentives as an “independent contractor” in 2017.
He said that the corporation was at the time improving its business procedures as a result of increased scrutiny following the election of its longstanding leader, Donald Trump, as president of the United States. Following the 2016 presidential election, the corporation was taken controlled by Trump’s eldest sons.
“Following that cleanup were you demoted or disciplined?” prosecutor Susan Hoffinger asked. Weisselberg replied, “No.”
Matthew Calamari, the company’s COO, received bonuses as an independent contractor and was not reprimanded either, according to Weisselberg.
Weisselberg admitted that he had utilized the fact that he was no longer receiving benefits, such as a free apartment and car, to persuade the Trump brothers, whom he had known since they were young, to give him a raise. He said that in 2019 he received a $200,000 raise.
“I told them since the practice was no longer going on I would need some additional income to pay for those expenses,” he said.
He responded, “I don’t know what they told their dad,” when asked if the brothers had notified their father about what had occurred.
The Trump Organization and Weisselberg, the prosecution’s key witness, were indicted in April of last year in connection with what the government claimed was a 15-year tax fraud scheme.
