Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in jail after pleading guilty to lying under oath in a civil fraud case brought against former President Trump by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Weisselberg, 76, admitted to lying during depositions and testimony related to the valuation of Trump’s Manhattan penthouse on financial statements. He was sentenced to jail time for perjury, despite pleading guilty to avoid violating his probation in a separate tax case. Weisselberg declined to address the court during the sentencing and was swiftly escorted from the courtroom in handcuffs to begin serving his sentence.
The civil fraud trial concluded with Judge Arthur Engoron ruling that Trump and his executives had schemed to deceive banks, insurers, and others by lying about his wealth on financial statements used to secure loans. Trump was penalized $455 million and Weisselberg was ordered to pay $1 million. Weisselberg’s testimony was found to be “intentionally evasive” and “highly unreliable” by the judge. This will be Weisselberg’s second time behind bars, as he previously served 100 days for tax evasion. He is now facing a five-month sentence at Rikers Island jail complex in New York City.
Weisselberg has testified twice in trials for Trump and his plea agreement does not require him to testify in the hush money criminal trial against Trump. Prosecutors agreed to a five-month sentence due to Weisselberg’s age and willingness to admit to wrongdoing. Although perjury is punishable by up to seven years in prison in New York, prosecutors promised not to prosecute Weisselberg for other crimes related to his employment at the Trump Organization. Trump’s lawyers criticized the prosecution of Weisselberg, accusing the Manhattan district attorney’s office of using unethical tactics against an innocent man in his late 70s.
Trump valued his Manhattan penthouse on financial statements as though it measured 30,000 square feet, based on information provided by Weisselberg. However, evidence showed that Weisselberg received an email in 1994 with a document attached that stated the apartment’s size as 10,996 square feet. Despite this, Weisselberg testified that he did not know the true size of the apartment. After Forbes magazine published an article disputing the size of Trump’s penthouse, its estimated value on financial statements was reduced. The article published during Weisselberg’s testimony accused him of lying under oath about the penthouse’s size.
Weisselberg’s guilty plea and sentencing are part of ongoing legal battles involving Trump and the Trump Organization. The former CFO’s role in the organization and his connection to Trump have come under scrutiny, leading to criminal charges and convictions. Weisselberg’s willingness to admit to perjury and accept a five-month sentence may affect his standing in future legal proceedings. The appeals process for the civil fraud case against Trump and Weisselberg is ongoing, with both parties seeking to overturn the judge’s ruling. The legal battles surrounding Trump’s finances and business dealings continue to unfold in courtrooms across the country.
