ALSO WIESEL BERG,ALAN WEISS ELBU THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER OF
THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION.
THE BOTTOM SIGNATURE I BELIEVE
IS ALLEN WEISSELBERG’S.
ALLEN WEISSELBERG.
ALLEN WEISSELBERG. ALLEN WEISSELBERG.
ALLEN WEISSELBERG. THAT’S SIGNED BY ALLEN
WEISSELBERG.
WEISSELBERG. >> ARE THERE OTHER PEOPLE WE
SHOULD BE MEETING WITH?
>> SO ALLEN WEISSELBERG.
>> CHUCK ROSENBERG, KAISER SOSA
THE COHEN HEARINGS OF THE
PERHAPS INVESTIGATIONS OUT OF
THE SDNY.
THE SDNY. ALLEN WEISSELBERG I UNDERSTAND
HAD NARROW LIMITED IMMUNITY
AROUND CERTAIN QUESTIONS BUT NOT
A COOPERATING WITNESS.
WILL HE BECOME ONE?
WHY IS HE SO IMPORTANT?
>> HE’S IMPORTANT NICOLLE
BECAUSE HE’S BEEN AROUND THE
TRUMP ORGANIZATION AND MR. TRUMP
FOR A LONG TIME.
THESE ARE THE TYPES OF PEOPLE
WHO ARE IMPORTANT WITNESSES
BECAUSE THEY SEE STUFF, THEY
READ STUFF, THEY HEAR STUFF,
THEY JUST HANG AROUND.
SO WEISSELBERG COULDN’T BE
HAVING A GOOD DAY YESTERDAY.
HE’S PROBABLY NOT HAVING A
PARTICULARLY GOOD DAY TODAY
EITHER.
EITHER. AND I IMAGINE -- I SHOULD SAY
THERE’S A PROBLEM WITH HIM
TESTIFYING BEFORE CONGRESS,
WHICH IS THAT HE VERY WELL MAY
HAVE A FIFTH AMENDMENT ISSUE,
MEANING THAT A TRUTHFUL ANSWER
TO QUESTIONS MAY TEND TO
INCRIMINATE HIM.
INCRIMINATE HIM. HE WOULD ONLY WANT TO TESTIFY
WITH IMMUNITY.
WITH IMMUNITY. AND THIS GETS A LITTLE
COMPLICATED, I WON’T GO TOO DEEP
INTO IT, BUT IF CONGRESS WANTS
TO HEAR FROM HIM AND THEY
IMMUNIZE HIM IN ORDER TO GET HIS
TESTIMONY, THAT COULD MAKE IT
TOUGH ON PROSECUTORS DOWN THE
ROAD.
ROAD. I’M GUESSING PROSECUTORS WILL GO
FIRST THOUGH, GET EVERYTHING
THEY NEED AND WANT FROM MR.
WEISSELBERG AND THEN MAYBE ONLY
THEN WILL CONGRESS HEAR FROM
HIM.
HIM. >> CHUCK, CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN
WHAT SORTS OF CRIMES HE WOULD
HAVE WITNESSED?
HAVE WITNESSED? HE WAS TALKING IN THE CONTEXT,
OR AT LEAST SOME OF THE
QUESTIONS OF THE HUSH MONEY
SCHEME, THAT WE KNOW THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK,
FOUND TO BE A CRIMINAL
UNDERTAKING AND COHEN’S PART,
THEY ALSO RERNSEDFERENCED INDIVI
ONE, THE PRESIDENT.
WHAT WOULD WEISSELBERG’S ROLE
HAVE BEEN?
HAVE BEEN? WHAT CRIMES COULD HE HAVE
WITNESSED OR COMMITTED HIMSELF?
>> THREE COME TO MIND.
THE FIRST IS THE PUSH MONEY
PAYMENTS.
PAYMENTS. IF HELPED FACILITATE THOSE
PAYMENTS AND KNEW THAT THE
PURPOSE WAS TO CONCEAL FROM
FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION
OFFICIALS, FROM THE AMERICAN
PUBLIC, THE PURPOSE OF THOSE
PAYMENTS, AND IT WAS THEIR GOAL
TO INFLUENCE THE ELECTION, SURE,
HE COULD HAVE A CRIMINAL
LIABILITY FOR THAT.
TWO OTHER THINGS COME TO MIND,
AS THE MONEY GUY, AS THE CFO OF
THE TRUMP ORGANIZATION, IF HE
HELPED TRUMP PREPARE FALSE
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS THAT WERE
SUBMITTED TO BANKS TO GET LOANS,
OR IF HE DEVALUED ASSETS FOR
PURPOSES OF TAX REPORTING, THAT
COULD GIVE RISE TO LIABILITY
EITHER FOR FINANCIAL FRAUD, BANK
FRAUD AND THE LIKE OR FOR TAX
FRAUD.
FRAUD. AGAIN, I WANT TO BE VERY CAREFUL
HERE.
HERE. I DON’T KNOW MR. WEISSELBERG,
ALTHOUGH I HEARD HIS NAME A LOT
YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. BUT THAT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT HE
KNEW, NOT SIMPLY WHETHER HE WAS
USED AS A PAWN PERHAPS TO CREATE
INFLATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS,
BUT WHETHER HE KNEW THAT IN SO
DOING, HE WAS HELPING SOMEONE
ELSE COMMIT A FRAUD.
THAT INTENT PIECE IS REALLY
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. >> SORT OF THE LAYMAN’S
PERSPECTIVE, IF HE SAW THAT
INFLATED WEALTH OR INFLATED
ASSETS ON A LOAN APPLICATION OR
ON THE FORBES 100 LIST, WOULDN’T
IT BE OBVIOUS THE FRAUD WAS
BEING PUBLICIZED AND USED?
>> IF HE KNEW IT WAS WRONG,
RIGHT, IF HE KNEW WHAT THE REAL
NUMBERS WERE AND HE LET THE FAKE
NUMBERS GO FORTH AND LET THEM GO
TO A BANK, FOR INSTANCE, TO HELP
OBTAIN A LOAN, ABSOLUTELY.
HE’S IN THE SOUP.
BUT IF HE’S JUST BEING USED --
FOR INSTANCE, NICOLLE, IF YOU
WANT TO CHEAT ON YOUR TAXES AND
YOU CONCEAL FROM YOUR TAX
PREPARER THE FACT YOU HAD A
FOREIGN BANK ACCOUNT, SHE WOULD
NOT HAVE CRIMINAL LIABILITY
BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T TELL HER THE
TRUTH.
TRUTH. IF SHE KNEW YOU HAD A FOREIGN
BANK ACCOUNT AND SHE HELPED YOU
CONCEAL IT, THEN SHE WOULD.
IT WILL TURN ON WHAT MR.
WEISSELBERG KNEW, BECAUSE HE’S
SO DEEP IN THAT ORGANIZATION FOR
SO MANY YEARS, I SUSPECT HE
KNOWS QUITE A BIT.
>> FRANK FIGLIUZZI, I WANT TO
ASK YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE OTHER
PEOPLE THE GOVERNOR MENTIONED,
THE PRESIDENT’S KIDS.
MICHAEL COHEN TESTIFIED HE
BRIEFED THE FAMILY MEMBERS ABOUT
NEGOTIATIONS AROUND TRUMP TOWER
MOSCOW.
MOSCOW. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW THAT’S
LIKELY A SUBJECT TODAY IN FRONT
OF THE HOUSE INTEL COMMITTEE.
ONE OF THE SORT OF KNOWN LIES
THAT’S OUT THERE IS MICHAEL
COHEN, HE’S NOW CONFESSED TO AND
PLEADED GUILTY TO LYING TO
CONGRESS ABOUT THE TIME PERIOD
AROUND TRUMP TOWER MOSCOW.
THE PRESIDENT CERTAINLY LIED TO
THE PUBLIC.
THE PUBLIC. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT HE SAID.
RUDY GIULIANI SEEMS TO SUGGEST
THAT THE WRITTEN RESPONSES GAVE
THE PRESIDENT THROUGH ELECTION
DAY, THEY’VE BEEN HAVING THOSE
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE RUSSIANS.
BUT WHERE DO YOU THINK THE OTHER
PRESSURE POINTS ARE FOR THE
OTHER INDIVIDUALS THE GOVERNOR
MENTIONED?
MENTIONED? THE PRESIDENT’S KIDS AND OTHER
PEOPLE AT THE TRUMP
ORGANIZATION?
ORGANIZATION? >> I FOUND IT INTERESTING,
NICOLLE, THAT ROBERT MUELLER’S
BEEN ESSENTIALLY HANDS OFF WITH
THE KIDS, WITH THE FAMILY
MEMBERS.
MEMBERS. AND SO MY IMAGINATION RUNS WILD
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT KIND
OF HANDS-OFF APPROACH HAS BEEN
DONE IN COORDINATION WITH THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT OR OTHER
DISTRICTS BECAUSE MAYBE THE
SOUTHERN DISTRICT IS GOING TO
HANDLE THAT.
HANDLE THAT. AND THAT’S WHERE I THINK THIS IS
GOING.
GOING. WE’RE ALSO HEADED FOR QUITE A
SHOW IF INDEED CONGRESS AND
VARIOUS COMMUNITIES START
SLAPPING FAMILY MEMBERS WITH
SUBPOENAS.
SUBPOENAS. BUT DON JR. IS AT THE TOP OF THE
FAMILY LIST AS SOMEONE WHO IS
TOTALLY EXPOSED CRIMINALLY.
JARED KUSHNER HAS ISSUES THAT
ARE LIKELY BEYOND THE REMIT OF
MUELLER.
MUELLER. AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE
A PRESSURE POINT, AS IT HAS BEEN
IN EVEN GARDEN VARIETY PUBLIC
CORRUPTION CASES THAT I HAVE
BEEN EXPERIENCED WITH, WHERE YOU
START GETTING THAT OFFICIAL
WORRIED ABOUT EXPOSURE OF HIS
FAMILY AND YOU START ENTERING
INTO NEGOTIATIONS BASED ON
WHETHER OR NOT FAMILY MEMBERS
ARE CRIMINALLY EXPOSED.
AND THEN YOU START LEARNING
ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT
OFFICIAL REALLY IS A LOVING
FAMILY MAN OR WHETHER HE’S GOT
ONLY HIS SELF-INTEREST AT HEART.
WE MAY BE HEADED TO A POINT
WHERE WE SEE WHAT TRUMP IS MADE
OF IN TERMS OF THESE KINDS OF
DECISIONS.
DECISIONS. >> LET ME PLAY IN THAT VAIN FOR
TWO PEOPLE WHO KNOW THE FAMILY
WHAT MICHAEL COHEN SAID THE
PRESIDENT THINKS OF HIS SON,
DONALD TRUMP JR.
>> MR. TRUMP HAD FREQUENTLY TOLD
ME AND OTHERS THAT HIS SON DON
JR. HAD THE WORST JUDGMENT OF
ANYONE IN THE WORLD.
AND ALSO THAT DON JR. WOULD
NEVER SET UP ANY MEETING OF
SIGNIFICANCE ALONE.
SIGNIFICANCE ALONE. AND CERTAINLY NOT WITHOUT
CHECKING WITH HIS FATHER.
>> YOU AGREE WITH THAT
TESTIMONY?
TESTIMONY? >> YOU KNOW, LISTEN, I DON’T
AGREE THAT HE WOULD NOT DO A
MEETING WITHOUT GETTING HIS
FATHER’S PERMISSION.
FATHER’S PERMISSION. THAT’S NOT MY EXPERIENCE WITH
HIM.
HIM. >> WITH RUSSIA TO GET DIRT ON
HILLARY?
HILLARY? >> LET’S ASSUME YOU AGREE HE HAS
BAD JUDGMENT.
BAD JUDGMENT. THEN, YEAH, I THINK THAT JUST
REINFORCES THE IDEA HE MIGHT DO
SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITHOUT
TALKING TO HIS FATHER FIRST
BECAUSE ONLY SOMEONE WITH BAD
JUDGMENT WOULD DO THAT.
LISTEN, EVERYBODY IN THAT
MEETING HAD BAD JUDGMENT.
JARED KUSHNER, DONALD TRUMP JR.,
ALL HAD BAD JUDGMENT.
THEY DIDN’T RUN IT BY THE
LAWYERS FIRST.
LAWYERS FIRST. THEY DIDN’T RUN IT BY TOM
McGANN.
McGANN. THEY DIDN’T SEEMINGLY TALK TO
ANYBODY ELSE ABOUT IT AND TO BE
IN THAT ROOM WAS AWFUL JUDGMENT.
WE DO HAVE SOME STARK EVIDENCE
OF REALLY BAD JUDGMENT ON ALL
THREE OF THEM.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE COHEN’S
RAISING THE POSSIBILITY THAT THE
PRESIDENT WAS AWARE OF THAT
MEETING?
MEETING? >> THE PRESIDENT SAID HE WASN’T.
>> DO YOU BELIEVE HIM?
>> DO I BELIEVE HIM?
YES, I’M GOING TO BELIEVE HIM
UNTIL I HAVE A REASON NOT TO.
>> HE’S TOLD 9,576 LIES.
YOU’RE WAITING FOR 10,000?
>> I VIOLATE EACH STATEMENT ON
ITS MERITS.
ITS MERITS. >> HE REVIEWED ALL 10,000?
>> I DON’T THINK I REVIEWED ALL
10,000.
10,000. >> YOU TALKED ABOUT RAISING KIDS
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. DID HE SAY SOME WERE SMART?
HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING NEGATIVE
ABOUT HIS CHILDREN.
>> DID HE THINK HIS SON HAD GOOD
JUDGMENT?
JUDGMENT? >> HE NEVER SAID THAT TOE ME ONE
WAY OR ANOTHER.
WHAT HE TALKED TO ME ABOUT AND I
DETAILED IN THE BOOK HE WAS
CONCERNED ABOUT GOING TO THE
PRESIDENCY AND BEING THERE EVERY
DAY TO HELP GUIDE THE BUSINESS
AND GUIDE THEM.
SO DRAW FROM THAT WHATEVER YOU
WANT, BUT THAT WAS THE CONTEXT
WITHIN WHICH HE SPOKE TO ME
ABOUT HIS CONCERN, HOW AM I
GOING TO DEAL WITH THIS IF I
WIND UP HAVING THIS
ALL-CONSUMING JOB AND THEY’RE
OFF IN NEW YORK DOING THIS ON
THEIR OWN?
THEIR OWN? >> I HEARD FROM SOURCES CLOSE TO
THE PRESIDENT THAT HE THOUGHT
DONALD TRUMP JR. WAS AN IDIOT.
>> THAT’S A STRONG WORD BUT I
WILL SAY IN MY REPORTING, IT IS
NOT MY UNDERSTANDING THE
PRESIDENT THINKS DON JR. IS HIS
SMARTEST CHILD.
SMARTEST CHILD. THAT’S HOW I UNDERSTAND HOW HE
THINKS OF DON JR.
AND THE WAY --
>> IVANKA IS AND ERIC IS STEADY.
>> ERIC IS THE GUY WHO LOOKED
OUT FOR HIS FATHER, WHO KIND OF
KEEP HIS HEAD DOWN AND ACTUALLY
DOES THE WORK, WHEN YOU THINK
ABOUT WHO’S OUT PUBLICLY DOING
INTERVIEWS AND ON THE CAMPAIGN
TRAIL AND CURRENTLY IN THE WHITE
HOUSE.
HOUSE. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN IT
FOR SHOW.
FOR SHOW. THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN IT
FOR THEIR OWN AMBITION.
AND THEN THERE’S ONE SON WHO’S
JUST BACK AT HOME DOING THE
WORK.
WORK. >> I AGEE WITH EMILY ON THAT.
MY INTERACTION WITH ERIC TRUMP
OVER TIME MADE ME LAUGH ABOUT
"SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" THAT
PORTRAYS ERIC AS THIS DIM WIT.
THEY GOT IT DEAD WRONG.
IT’S FUNNY STUFF BUT IT’S DEAD
WRONG.