Former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg was sentenced to five months in jail for lying under oath during a civil business fraud trial involving Donald Trump. This is the second time in two years that Weisselberg has been incarcerated for his involvement in Trump’s company. He will be serving the sentence on two counts of perjury in the first degree at Rikers Island.
The charges against Weisselberg were brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as part of a case against Trump involving falsifying business records in a hush money scheme. While Weisselberg is not required to testify in the upcoming trial against Trump, his guilty plea for perjury is expected to play a significant role in the proceedings. Trump’s legal team has attempted to delay the trial, claiming that Weisselberg’s sentencing was strategically timed to generate negative publicity.
Weisselberg admitted to lying under oath about the size of Trump’s triplex apartment during a civil fraud trial brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James. He falsely testified that he was not focused on the details of the apartment, which was valued significantly higher on Trump’s financial statements than its actual size. In addition to the two perjury counts related to the apartment, Weisselberg also admitted to engaging in perjury on three other occasions.
As a result of the civil fraud trial, Trump was found liable for fraudulently inflating the values of his properties and assets on financial forms. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Trump to pay $454 million in fines and interest, a decision that Trump is currently appealing. Weisselberg’s lawyer did not provide a comment in response to his sentencing.
Despite the legal challenges facing Trump and his associates, including Weisselberg, the former CFO’s guilty pleas and subsequent sentencing highlight the ongoing legal battles surrounding the former president and his business practices. The upcoming trial involving Trump’s alleged involvement in a hush money scheme and the charges of falsifying business records further underscore the legal scrutiny facing Trump’s organization. The outcomes of these cases will likely have significant implications for Trump and his business empire moving forward.
