In a Manhattan court, a case involving a former executive of the Trump Organization has concluded. Allen Weisselberg, the company’s former CFO, formally admitted guilt to two counts of felony perjury on March 4. These charges are said to stem from misleading statements he provided during depositions conducted by the New York Attorney General’s office in 2020, which were pertinent to the civil fraud trial of former President Donald Trump.
Weisselberg openly confessed to providing misleading information to investigators regarding the listing of Trump’s penthouse apartment at nearly 300% of its actual size on annual financial statements. Initially, he claimed uncertainty about how the error occurred, stating he only learned of it in 2017 when a whistleblower from Forbes revealed the truth.
Former Trump accountant Allen Weisselberg pleads guilty to perjury for lying at fraud trial https://t.co/znq7A64ZLz
— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) March 4, 2024
During his appearance before Judge Laurie Petersen on Monday, the former CFO acknowledged that his previous testimony was false. He also confessed to intentionally perpetuating the inflated figures in order to obtain financial advantages, such as reduced interest rates, improved insurance terms, and substantial loans.
Weisselberg additionally affirmed that he provided false information to investigators by claiming he had never been present when Trump discussed the size of his penthouse apartment. As per court documents released on March 4, Weisselberg acknowledged hearing the former president inform a Forbes reporter in 2015 that the unit was 33,000 square feet, despite its actual size being 10,996 square feet.
Initially, prosecutors planned to file five distinct perjury charges against Weisselberg, rather than the two counts ultimately pursued. However, they apparently opted to negotiate a deal due to his readiness to acknowledge wrongdoing and his existing parole status resulting from his guilty plea to tax fraud charges in 2022.
Weisselberg’s sentencing is scheduled for April 10, although the prosecution is already proposing a maximum of five months in jail, considering the former CFO’s age as a significant factor. At 75 years old, he is expected to serve this sentence at Rikers Island, where he previously served a 100-day sentence in 2023, pending the judge’s approval.
