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U.S. NEWS Friday 19 august 2022
Trump executive pleads guilty in tax case, agrees to testify

NEW YORK (AP) — A top an end to this case and
executive at former Presi- the years-long legal and
dent Donald Trump's fam- personal nightmares it has
ily business pleaded guilty caused for him and his
Thursday to evading taxes family."
on a free apartment and Manhattan District Attorney
other perks, striking a deal Alvin Bragg said in a state-
with prosecutors that could ment that Weisselberg's
make him a star witness plea "directly implicates
against the company at a the Trump Organization in a
trial this fall. wide range of criminal ac-
Allen Weisselberg, a senior tivity and requires Weissel-
Trump Organization adviser berg to provide invaluable
and formerly the compa- testimony in the upcoming
ny's longtime chief finan- trial against the corpora-
cial officer, pleaded guilty tion."
to all 15 of the charges he "We look forward to proving
faced in the case. our case in court against
In a low, somewhat hoarse the Trump Organization,"
voice, Weisselberg admit- he added.
ted taking in over $1.7 mil- Testimony by Weisselberg
lion worth of untaxed extras could weaken the compa-
— including school tuition ny's defense. If convicted,
for his grandchildren, free The Trump Organization's former accountant Allen Weisselberg, right, arrives in the courtroom, in the company could face
rent for a Manhattan apart- New York, Thursday, Aug. 18, 2022. fines of double the amount
ment and lease payments Associated Press of unpaid taxes or poten-
for a luxury car — and ex- tially be placed on proba-
plicitly keeping some of the million in taxes, penalties by failing to report their full Trump. If Weisselberg fails tion and forced to change
plums off the books. and interest and complete compensation accurately to comply with the plea its business practices.
Judge Juan Manuel Mer- five years of probation. to the government. Trump terms, prosecutors said they The company praised Weis-
chan agreed to sentence The plea bargain also re- himself is not charged in would seek a "significant selberg on Thursday as a
the 75-year-old executive quires Weisselberg to testify the case. state prison sentence," and trusted, honorable employ-
to five months in New York truthfully as a prosecution Weisselberg will remain free Merchan warned that he ee who it said has been
City's Rikers Island jail com- witness when the Trump on bail until he is formally could be subject to the "persecuted and threat-
plex, although he will be el- Organization goes on tri- sentenced following the maximum punishment for ened by law enforcement,
igible for release after little al in October on related company's trial. He said the top charge — grand particularly the Manhattan
more than three months if charges. The company is nothing as he left court, larceny — of 15 years. district attorney, in their
he behaves behind bars. accused of helping Weis- offering no reply when a Weisselberg's lawyer Nicho- never-ending, politically
The judge said Weisselberg selberg and other execu- journalist asked whether las Gravante Jr. said his cli- motivated quest to get
will have to pay nearly $2 tives avoid income taxes he had any message for ent pleaded guilty "to put President Trump."q

RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine group kicked off Instagram, Facebook

By DAVID KLEPPER "Facebook is acting here as been allowed to flourish on
Associated Press a surrogate for the federal social media for too long.
Instagram and Facebook government's crusade to si- She noted that the group
suspended Children's lence all criticism of draco- remains on Twitter.
Health Defense this week nian government policies," "Today's step is too late
after the anti-vaccine Kennedy said. and too little," Kornbluh
group led by Robert Ken- Children's Health Defense said, adding that tech
nedy Jr. repeatedly violat- had hundreds of thousands companies must address
ed rules prohibiting misin- of followers at the time of the reasons misinformation
formation about COVID-19. the suspension, according spreads so readily on social
Public A nonprofit, Chil- to a statement from the or- media.
dren's Health Defense is ganization, which also not- Facebook and Instagram
one of the most influential ed that it has sued Face- confirmed the company
anti-vaccine organiza- book over its moderation action on Thursday in a
tions active on social me- policies. statement to The Associ-
dia, where it has spread health advocates and mis- ated Press.
misleading claims about information experts have "We removed these ac-
vaccines and other public criticized Facebook for counts for repeatedly Attorney Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. speaks after a hearing challeng-
health measures designed not acting more swiftly to violating our policies," a ing the constitutionality of the state legislature's repeal of the
to control the pandemic. contain potentially harmful spokesman for Meta, Face- religious exemption to vaccination on behalf of New York state
families who held lawful religious exemptions, during a rally out-
In a statement, Kennedy misinformation about CO- book and Instagram's par- side the Albany County Courthouse Aug. 14, 2019, in Albany,
compared Facebook's ac- VID-19 and vaccines. ent company, told the AP. N.Y.
tions to government cen- Karen Kornbluh, director of Under the platforms' poli- Associated Press
sorship, even though Face- the Digital Innovation and cies, suspensions are typi-
book is a private company Democracy Initiative at the cally only enforced after remain on Facebook and Kennedy was kicked off In-
that can set and enforce German Marshall Fund, said multiple violations. Instagram despite the ban stagram last year but con-
its own rules about misinfor- too many groups like Chil- Several state affiliates of of the national organiza- tinues to keep an active
mation. dren's Health Defense have Children's Health Defense tion. account on Facebook.q