Longtime Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg has hired a seasoned lawyer as the criminal case accusing him and the company of tax fraud gets closer to trial.
Nicholas Gravante said in an interview Wednesday that he was joining Weisselberg’s defense team and that the window for negotiations with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office over resolving the case without a trial had essentially closed.
“If there was a deal to be reached in this case, there has been plenty of time to do it,” Gravante said. “My mission now is to lead this trial team and win, and that’s what I intend to do.” A New York state judge has scheduled a hearing next week to set a trial date.
Gravante, a former law partner of David Boies, previously defended former AIG chief Hank Greenberg and in 2015 won a $663 million verdict against a maker of unsafe highway guardrails.
Cyrus Vance, Bragg’s predecessor as district attorney, charged both Weisselberg and the Trump Organization last July, alleging they conspired to avoid income taxes by paying certain employees in unreported perks. Weisselberg was allegedly the main beneficiary of the scheme, getting free housing in a luxury Manhattan building, private school tuition for his grandchildren and Mercedes-Benz automobiles for both him and his wife, among other benefits.
Trump not charged
Weisselberg and the Trump Organization, who have pleaded not guilty, have called the case politically motivated. In court filings, the CFO claims he was charged mainly because he refused to cooperate in a prosecution of former President Donald Trump, who has not been charged. Bragg has said the investigation is ongoing.
Gravante is not a stranger to the case. He previously represented former Trump Organization chief operating officer Matthew Calamari and his son, also a Trump employee, when they were being investigated by the district attorney’s office. Neither Calamari was charged.
Weisselberg’s hiring of Gravante was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The defense team also includes Mary Mulligan, who appeared at his arraignment in July. Gravante will be replacing Rita Glavin, another member of the team. Glavin, who is perhaps best-known as former Governor Andrew Cuomo’s lawyer, declined to comment.
Gravante said he was good friends with the Trump Organization lawyers in the case — Alan Futerfas, Bettina Schein and Susan Necheles. They all previously worked together on cases along with legendary criminal defense lawyer Gerald Shargel, famous for representing mob boss John Gotti.
“There is no substitute for trying a case with a team of great lawyers you like, trust and have worked with for decades,” Gravante said.
Weisselberg and the company moved to dismiss the charges in January, with the CFO arguing he was previously given immunity during a federal investigation. A judge has yet to rule on their motions.
