Lying in court is a serious offense that could attract a prison sentence of up to five years. But what happens if a lawyer knows their client is giving false information but lets them say it under oath? That’s the case with Trump’s Lawyer, Alina Habba.
She’s recently been in a tough spot as the judge realized her client lied under oath. The court wants to confirm whether she knew of this deceit and wished to mislead the court. Read on to uncover more information about this case!
It All Starts With Trump’s Fraud Case
Former President Donald Trump is battling a civil lawsuit in New York. Experts say the results could shake his real estate empire. Why? Besides paying the possible $370 million fine, Trump may also be banned from doing business in New York.
For context, the case is against Trump, his sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., and other top Trump Organization executives. New York Attorney General Letitia James accuses them of providing misleading information to secure loans.
Allen Weisselberg Gave A Witness Report
The Trump fraud case has gone through several sessions in court, and one of them involved Allen Weisselberg giving a witness testimony. Before proceeding, it’s important to note that Weisselberg works for Trump, overseeing his real estate assets.
Weisselberg gave a witness testimony in court in October 2023. After questioning, he made a statement about Trump’s assets and his involvement. One is that Trump’s triplex is significantly smaller than what’s claimed in the documents.
Weisselberg May Have Lied On His Witness Report
News reached Judge Arthur Engoron that Allen Weisselberg is in plea talks with the Manhattan DA. What for? According to reports, Weisselberg is in the office to end a potential perjury charge from his last witness testimony.
What details of his testimony were false? An investigation by Forbes Magazine showed that he lied about the value of Trump’s penthouse. He also claimed that he “never focused” on the valuation of the apartment, but Forbes revealed that Weisselberg’s emails were crucial in helping Trump falsify the apartment’s value.
How Does This Affect Alina Habba
Despite Weisselberg’s alleged false statements in court, the media has focused on Alina Habba. How is she involved? For context, Habba is an attorney representing Donald Trump and Weisselberg in court in this fraud case.
The lawyer must assess every detail their client brings to court. This scrutiny ensures that the judge and jury base their judgment on accurate information. However, Weisselberg’s plea deal for purgery could mean Habba didn’t do her job.
Negligence Or Deliberate Deceit?
If found guilty, Weisselberg will face legal repercussions for lying under oath. It will also nullify his testimony since one bad apple corrupts the harvest. As for Alina Habba, she’s in hot water, which may ruin her career.
The case against Habba poses some questions. One, did she fail to properly review her client’s testimony to ensure he was truthful? If she checked his testimony and still allowed him to testify in court, is she reliable in the court of law? The answers to these questions will change Habba’s career.
Alina Habba Commented On The Situation
The news quickly reached Habba that her reliability in the court of law was being questioned. This prompted her to reply to Judge Engoron that she had no comment on the situation. Why? According to Habba, she doesn’t represent Weisselberg on criminal issues, just Trump’s case.
In her own words, Alina Habba suggested to Judge Engoron that she has been “advised that my professional ethical obligations constrain me from providing any further detail.” What does this mean?
Habba May Or May Not Have Known If The Testimony Was False
Habba cited Rule 3.3 to judge Engoron. This passage discusses a lawyer’s ethical obligations to their client, preventing them from saying more. Therefore, Habba is technically allowed not to admit whether she knew or not.
This clever maneuver from Habba may save her career as it proves she really does know her way around the court. But, it doesn’t stop people from questioning her morals, as they accuse her of inhibiting justice by allowing a false report in court.
Judge Engoron May Reopen The Case
Judge Engoron was close to ending the case after several months of analysis in court. However, the new realization that Weisselberg lied and Habba let false information into the court caused him to reopen the Case.
In his words: “I am not reopening the case, but if someone pleads guilty to committing perjury in a case over which I am presiding, I want to know about it,” He also mentioned that he would research and consider the issue if Weisselberg is genuinely guilty of perjury.
Habba Is In A Bad Position
Although Habba argues that she doesn’t have to comment on whether she knew, she may still face some repercussions. These may include personal ethics complaints or contempt of proceedings.
Others also argue that her unethical behaviors may damage Trump’s position in the case. Also, she handles several legal battles for Trump but may be disqualified if investigations open, and she’s found wanting
‘A Professional Death Wish’
Other legal experts worry about Habba’s career because handling such a complex case with Trump “is akin to a professional death wish.” McAuliffe comments that “Habba’s role as counsel to multiple individuals in Trump’s orbit shows how the Trump-related matters all seem to collide eventually.”
Even if she never knew the information was false, having clients that blatantly lie can ruin her reputation. How? Failing to scrutinize everything before the court will weaken Trump’s defense and cause him to lose the case. That’s not an ideal record for an attorney.
The Final Verdict Comes in Mid-February
Judge Arthur Engoron has concluded that Trump committed fraud by lying about his assets’ value. This false information was then used to collect loans for projects like his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Judge Engoron plans to make his final rule by mid-February as he decides on a punishment for the former president. There’s a possibility Trump will pay over $300 million in fines and also be banned from doing business in New York indefinitely.
