Former Trump Organization CFO, Allen Weisselberg, has once again been released from jail after serving a five-month sentence at New York City’s Rikers Island. This release came after 100 days due to good behavior, marking his second stint in jail in just over a year. Weisselberg’s imprisonment stemmed from a plea agreement related to perjury committed during a civil fraud case in 2023.
Weisselberg pleaded guilty to two felony counts of perjury, admitting to providing false testimony regarding the size of Donald Trump’s triplex apartment in New York during a deposition. Originally facing three additional perjury charges, Weisselberg’s plea deal allowed him to avoid pleading guilty to those charges. The charges were linked to false sworn testimony in a discovery deposition and during his civil fraud trial where he, Trump, and other executives were found liable for fraud.
The civil fraud trial, initiated by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, alleged that Trump, his sons, Weisselberg, and others had falsely inflated valuations of Trump Organization properties. The court ordered Trump to pay over $450 million, including interest, attributed to “ill-gotten gains” from the scheme. Weisselberg, on the other hand, was found liable for fraud and ordered to pay $1 million plus interest, revealing that he had received $2 million in severance after leaving the Trump Organization.
Weisselberg’s legal troubles began in a separate 2022 criminal tax fraud case against the Trump Organization, where he committed perjury following a guilty plea. Despite being released from his initial five-month sentence for good behavior, Weisselberg continued to commit perjury during depositions and testimonies in subsequent cases.
During Trump’s trial, where he faced charges as the first former president charged with crimes, Weisselberg’s potential role as a witness in a falsification of business records scheme was brought into question. However, both prosecutors and Trump’s attorneys decided against calling Weisselberg as a witness, given his history of perjury and jail time.
As Allen Weisselberg navigates the legal repercussions of his actions, his involvement in high-profile cases involving the Trump Organization continues to shed light on the complex web of financial and legal challenges facing key figures within the organization. The evolving nature of these cases underscores the importance of accountability and transparency in corporate governance and legal proceedings.
