George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said Thursday that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s team will call former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg as a witness to damage their case. He said he had no intention of doing so.
New York State Judge Juan Marchan indicated during Friday’s proceedings that Mr. Weisselberg would testify after prosecutors tried to introduce Mr. Weisselberg’s severance package as evidence. according to Go to Politico. Turley said Weisselberg likely “will not support prosecution” against former President Donald Trump. (Related article: Alan Dershowitz says Trump lawyer should request “missing witness guidance” in Bragg case involving key figures on trial)
“I think this assumption is more than reasonable. You wouldn’t call someone like Michael Cohen if you had an alternative, and if you’re going to call Michael Cohen, you should call someone else who can support what he’s saying. I’m going to make a call,” Turley said. “The fact that Mr. Weisselberg was not removed from the courthouse, which is only about 15 minutes away, indicates that although he will not support the prosecution’s case, he likely intends to cooperate with Mr. Trump’s defense. ”
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“The question for the jury is what to make of this,” Turley continued. “Weisselberg is becoming the Keyser Soze of Witness. Everyone will be talking about him and wondering why he’s not here. What you’re seeing now is… I think they’re unraveling the lies of Cohen’s past.”
Michael Cohen, President Trump’s former fixer, pleaded guilty in 2018 to lying to Congress. accused A federal judge imposed an additional sentence for perjury. testimony Tuesday after taking the stand Monday in a lawsuit centered on a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.Cohen is cross-examined A lawyer representing President Trump made the announcement Thursday. (Related article: ‘Dependent perjury’: Fox legal analyst Alvin Bragg suggests he may have put Michael Cohen on the stand to lie to jurors)
Turley also weighed in on whether Trump’s lawyers should call Bob Costello, the former federal prosecutor who represented Cohen in 2018.
“The real question for the defense is a strategic question of whether to call Costello. He is clearly a strong witness,” Turley said. “He used to be the deputy head of the criminal division for the Southern District, so he’s pretty talented as a lawyer. I’m sure in my mind, they haven’t solved the case here. They haven’t established the elements. If the verdict goes against Trump, this guy is dead on arrival. Because of this, I tend to quit when I know I can win.” (Related article: ‘It didn’t make sense’: Jonathan Turley again says Michael Cohen may have committed perjury)
“The problem, of course, is that that happens after conviction,” Turley continued. “We’ll have to wait for the appeal. If we want to win the case thoroughly, we’ll have to call Costello and see if we can at least get a hung jury or maybe even get an acquittal.” The last thing I want to say about this is that as a Chicagoan, I’ve been very confused. I’m not just talking about folded pizza, but they’re a weird breed because they hate Donald Trump, but I’m not just talking about folded pizza. The only thing New Yorkers hate more is bastards, and at some point these jurors may feel like they’re being played.”
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