12:43 p.m.: When pressed about the Trump Organization’s financial representations, Weisselberg admits, “We leaned on the Mazars firm for guidance with GAAP.” Solomon, seemingly taken aback, questions, “So, when presenting to Mazars, you were expecting Mazars to mirror your information back to itself?” Weisselberg, in a terse reply, states, “No.”
Digging deeper, Solomon queries about Weisselberg’s conversations with Trump regarding his financial conditions. Weisselberg’s memory becomes fuzzy, “I can’t recall,” he murmurs. Solomon, persistent, probes further about discussions with both Trump and ex-Trump lawyer, Michael Cohen. Weisselberg offers a vague response, hinting at the possibility of no such discussions.
Painting a grander picture, Weisselberg compares his review of the organization’s financials to gazing at them “from a 30,000-foot altitude”, focusing on the overall outlook rather than the nitty-gritty details.
Adding a layer of intrigue, last week’s courtroom revelations uncovered the Trump Organization’s practice of adding a 30-50% “brand premium” on Trump’s assets, attributing additional value to his fame. However, when quizzed if Mazars was privy to this information, Weisselberg admits, “No.”
Square Footage Controversy and Valuation Under the Microscope
12:15 p.m.: In a dramatic twist, Solomon brandishes an October 2011 letter from Weisselberg to Mazars, connected with Trump’s financial statements. The bone of contention? The certified accuracy of the financial data the Trump Organization supplied.
