This is getting interesting real quick. With all of the obsession in the media for all things indictment, an interesting little aside occurred today that I have only seen reported on MSNBC, and there only twice.
One would think that what with having to make final touches for Trump’s Tuesday arraignment, as well as negotiations with Trump’s lawyers for him to surrender himself on Tuesday, and finalizing security with the NYPD, Secret Service and FBI, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg would have more on his plate than me at the Luxor buffet.
But apparently DA Bragg is a multitasking savant, because he somehow managed to find time for a surprise guest today. MSNBC showed video of convicted former Trump CFO Allan Weisselberg, in an open collar white shirt, blue suit coat, and signature Covid mask being escorted into the Manhattan DA’s office today. And my whiskers haven’t stopped twitching since.
For a whole bunch of reasons. For starters, what the hell is Weisselberg doing there in the first place? There isn’t even a hint that Weisselberg testified to the Manhattan grand jury, and even is he did, so what? That grand jury is as dead as Paddy’s pig, they already returned true bills of indictment. And you don’t bring a witness in to discuss his testimony before the defendant is even arraigned.
I wrote recently that the Manhattan DA was putting severe pressure on Weisselberg to roll over on Trump. Bragg sent an emissary to Riker’s Island to advise Weisselberg that if he didn’t do the right thing and give up Trump, they were ready to file more indictments against Weisselberg, carrying heavier time in a state prison. But you don’t take a guy you’re sweating on a field trip, you call him up every hour at Riker’s and tell him, Tick-tock, Tick-tock. The clock is running, Allan. *Click*
From everything I can see, Bragg’s indictments are the result of three things, his own office’s investigation into the affair, information he got from the SDNY investigation, and evidence and testimony from the Trump organization criminal trial. None of which has anything to do with Allan Weisselberg that would necessitate you yanking him out of Riker’s for a chat a month before he’s scheduled to be released.
All of which can lead me to only one logical conclusion, at least logical to me. And that is that Allan Weisselberg has either already rolled over on Trump, or is in the final stages of signing the cooperation agreement. If Weisselberg is leaning Bragg’s way, it makes perfect sense for Bragg to give him a day off the island to show how generous he can be. And to hammer the advantages home personally.
Which leads to another perfectly logical conclusion. Manhattan DA Bragg dropped the hammer on the Trump indictments at this moment for a very specific reason. He wants Trump’s mind occupied with his own legal problems. After all, in the last 7-10 days I’ve reported that the Manhattan DA’s office is putting the squeeze on Weisselberg to flip on Trump with the threat of more charges and longer hard time. Next it was reported that Weisselberg has dropped his Trump appointed and paid legal team and gotten his own independent counsel. And now today Allan Weisselberg is seen heading into the Manhattan DA’s office for a little fireside chat. What gives?
I think I know. Bragg wants Trump’s mind occupied with his own criminal legal troubles before he starts to follow the Weisselberg bread crumbs the media is dropping. So here comes that old phrase, Bragg filed place keeper charges to get Traitor Tot tied up in the New York legal system. Because if Bragg is on the cusp of flipping Weisselberg, it’s Weisselberg who has the keys to Aladdin’s cave. And you can bet your ass that one of the conditions of his cooperation agreement with Bragg will be that he cooperate fully with, and testify for New York Attorney General Letitia James in her civil trial against Trump and his boiler shop operation.
Here’s what I’m looking for to happen next. The next couple of weeks are going to be busy for Bragg dealing with Trump’s arraignment and the aftermath. But for the next 6-8 weeks, I’m going to be looking for a quiet, low key announcement from the Manhattan DA’s office that he has empaneled a new grand jury for a new criminal investigation into Donald Trump. And if that happens, then you know that Allan Weisselberg is an official Manhattan DA canary. And the Stormy Daniels indictments will immediately become the least of Trump’s worries. Don’t touch that dial.
We’ll find out when the arraignment happens and they open up the indictment.
It certainly is an interesting development. I can easily imagine Bragg making sure Weisselberg got soft treatment. A ride in a nice, comfy SUV without handcuffs. A nice spread of food and drink, stuff ole Al hasn’t been able to enjoy for what, four months now? Basically, a nice field trip back into the world to twist the knife. Because as I write this Weisselberg is back at Rikers in his little cell in protective custody. Maybe as a high value prisoner he got an evening snack but nothing like the tasty pastries he was able to enjoy during his chat with Bragg. Perhaps a packet of stale peanut butter crackers and a juice box! If it seems a tad cruel that’s the point. Weisselberg is probably facing the stark choice of years, which at his age might mean the rest of his life enjoying Rikers style treatment OR he can go back to sleeping on a decent mattress, eating decent food and being able to get out and about. Or hug his grandkids. It might not be anywhere near as fancy a life and digs as before becoming a CONVICT but compared to prison? His non-Trump paid lawyer is probably screaming at him to cut a deal. And that lawyer will be reminding him of today’s hours in Bragg’s offices vs. Rikers/prison over and over. Yeah, Trump is going to start sweating “hamberder” and burnt steak turds over this news. Even his hack lawyers know this could be really, really bad for Trump.
Personally I think word had already been passed to Bragg that Weisselberg was dumping his Trump paid lawyer and hiring new counsel who would have HIS interests first. And even a verbal agreement prior to things becoming official on that score AND that it was because ole Al was ready to sing. THAT is why Bragg pulled the trigger yesterday and instead of the scheduled hearing of evidence on a different case putting the Trump case before the grand jury. As you say, get Trump into the criminal court system with “placeholder” charges which I’m betting is stronger than pundits doing all the sudden hand-wringing think AND preparing a case that will be far more devastating to Trump.
Oohh Boy….And the plot thickens!
Did Weisselberg return to Riker’s? He may have signed a new plea bargain that would get him out of Riker’s and into a safer facility. Remember Epstein. Where’s there’s a will and sufficient money to silence a key witness, there’s a way. I suspect Weisselberg has entered the witness protection program and will disappear from the radar for quite a while.
Roger
I doubt he will end up in witness protection, unless the Russian mob threatens him. But it is possible,even likely, he and his wife will relocate from NY,,although any place where Trumpies dominate is probably not a good idea, since they will blame him for Trump being indicted. And he will have to.hire private security round the clock. I have heard Hawaii is a lovely place to retire. Or Guam, great beaches, much cheaper than Hawaii.
For many of us, this is a grown-up ‘Christmas Eve’. We’re hovering around the warm glow of the ‘Trump tree’ with rapt anticipation hoping that next Tuesday reveals what so many have wished for. For now, we are quietly shaking the boxes underneath, guessing at the weight and content, enjoying moments of borrowed pleasure of getting what we’ve hoped for. Hoping that ‘Santa Bragg’ has lived up to his commitments of whose been naughty and nice. Break out the milk and cookies!