Judge in Trump’s Civil Fraud Case Asks Whether a Key Witness Lied

The judge overseeing Donald J. Trump’s civil fraud case has questioned whether a key witness committed perjury during the former president’s trial, a new court filing shows.

The judge, Arthur F. Engoron, asked Mr. Trump’s lawyers to address the truthfulness of the witness, Allen H. Weisselberg, Mr. Trump’s longtime chief financial officer. Mr. Weisselberg and Mr. Trump are both defendants in the case, which was brought by the New York attorney general, Letitia James.

Justice Engoron, who is expected to issue a decision in the nonjury case this month, cited a recent New York Times article about Mr. Weisselberg’s testimony. The article reported that Mr. Weisselberg, 76, is negotiating a potential agreement with the Manhattan district attorney’s office that would require him to plead guilty to perjury for his testimony.

“I of course want to know whether Mr. Weisselberg is now changing his tune, and whether he is admitting he lied under oath in my courtroom at this trial,” Justice Engoron wrote to the lawyers on both sides of the case in a recent email made public on Tuesday.

A lawyer representing Mr. Trump in the civil case, Christopher M. Kise, declined to comment. A spokeswoman for the attorney general declined to comment, as did a spokeswoman for the Manhattan district attorney’s office. Mr. Weisselberg’s lawyer, Seth Rosenberg, has declined to comment on the negotiations through a spokesman for his firm, Clayman Rosenberg Kirshner & Linder.

The complex situation stems from overlapping criminal and civil cases brought by the two New York law enforcement agencies.