Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer for the Trump Organization, pleaded guilty to perjury Monday for lying at former President Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial.
Prosecutors in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office had accused Weisselberg of lying under oath when he answered questions in a deposition in May and at the October trial about allegations that Trump lied about his wealth on financial statements given to banks and insurance companies.
“It is a crime to lie in depositions and at trial – plain and simple,” Bragg’s office said in a statement.
Weisselberg will be sentenced to five months in jail, the judge said. Sentencing is scheduled April 10.
“Allen Weisselberg looks forward to putting this situation behind him,” his lawyer Seth Rosenberg said in a statement.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide
Weisselberg has already served a jail term for tax fraud and falsification of business records in an unrelated case. But he received a $2 million settlement when leaving the Trump Organization and hasn’t cooperated with government lawyers while testifying at Trump’s fraud trial.
The civil fraud trial resulted in a $454 million judgment against Trump for inflating the value of his real estate to get benefits such as lower interest rates from lenders.
The perjury conviction could serve as a warning to other witnesses in Bragg’s trial against Trump on criminal…
