Trump's ex-finance chief is sentenced to 5 months
Allen Weisselberg, former President Donald Trump's financial lieutenant, was sentenced Wednesday to five months in a Rikers Island jail for perjury, capping a legal saga that has now landed him behind bars twice.
The sentence, handed down by a state judge in Manhattan, came five days before Trump is to go on trial in the same courthouse on accusations that he covered up a sex scandal. Weisselberg was not charged in that case, but he would not be headed to jail if not for his former boss's own troubles: Prosecutors set their sights on Weisselberg after he refused to turn on Trump.
Last month, Weisselberg, 76, pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury committed while he was being questioned in 2020 by the New York attorney general's office, which was investigating Trump for fraud.
In a perfunctory appearance before Judge Laurie Peterson, Weisselberg, wearing a dark jacket and a blue surgical mask, showed little emotion. When the judge asked if he wanted to say anything, he simply responded, “no, your honor.”
The sentencing lasted about three minutes, a quicker and less dramatic proceeding than when he was last sentenced to jail in 2023.
“Allen Weisselberg accepted responsibility for his conduct and now looks forward to the end of this life-altering experience and to returning to his family and his retirement,” his lawyer, Seth Rosenberg, said in a statement.
A spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg declined to comment. A spokesperson for New York Attorney General Letitia James did not respond to a request for comment.
The most recent charges against Weisselberg stemmed from James' civil fraud investigation into Trump. The attorney general ultimately sued Trump and several associates, including Weisselberg, accusing them of inflating his financial statements to receive better loan terms.
After a monthslong trial, Judge Arthur Engoron levied a $454 million judgment against Trump.
For his role, Weisselberg, the Trump Organization's former chief financial officer, was penalized $1 million and prohibited from serving in a financial capacity for any New York company.
Trump's lawyers have denounced Weisselberg's prosecution, pointing to his age. They argue that he is an innocent victim of the wide-ranging scrutiny of Trump.
With good behavior, Weisselberg's sentence could be reduced to about 100 days. He will likely be jailed throughout Trump's criminal trial, which Bragg's prosecutors are also leading. Jury selection is to begin Monday.