Allen Weisselberg, the former Chief Financial Officer for the Trump Organization, remains unwavering in his loyalty to Donald Trump despite legal complications. Weisselberg recently faced criminal charges added to his existing legal issues.
Earlier today, Weisselberg pleaded guilty to two counts of felony perjury. He admitted to lying during the investigation leading to a civil fraud case against the Trump family and the Trump Organization. His false statements pertained to the actual size of Trump’s New York apartment, a discrepancy he claimed to have discovered only after reading a Forbes article.
Weisselberg’s falsehoods were part of a larger attempt to boost Trump’s placement on the Forbes 400 list of richest people, a strategy that involved regularly exaggerating the size of Trump’s apartment to various lenders. Despite admitting in court to these lies, Weisselberg remains uncharged for these particular mistruths.
The courtroom drama relates back to a story from four weeks earlier at the conclude of the civil fraud trial. After The New York Times reported on Weisselberg negotiating a perjury plea, the presiding judge, Justice Arthur Engoron, questioned Weisselberg’s defense team about any further developments that could impact his credibility as a witness.
This question triggered a flurry of responses from both Alina Habba, who claimed ignorance of any criminal plea, and Cliff Robert, Trump’s representative, who voiced strong criticisms of the court’s reliance on media coverage.
Frustrations over the court’s impartiality led Justice Engoron to rebuke the defense team, emphasizing the repetitive and weary nature of their complaints.
In spite of the legal drama, the court managed to dismiss Weisselberg’s testimony without any assistance from the DA. Skirmishing over Weisselberg’s retirement payout, which the Trump Org was still withholding, was reason enough to deem his testimonies highly unreliable. Weisselberg, who remains tightly controlled by the Trump Organization, was also slapped with a one million dollar penalty for his perjury, further diminishing his financial rewards for taking the stand.
Presently, Weisselberg is facing the possibility of another imprisonment term following his initial stay at Rikers in 2022. The reason – his refusal to divulge information that could implicate Donald Trump in the tax fraud case. Weisselberg’s steadfast loyalty to Trump persists, proving he is, as some have described, more faithful than man’s best friend.
Find more details on the legal saga of Allen Weisselberg on Above The Law.