The former CFO of the Trump Organization, Allen Weisselberg, who admitted to giving false testimony during Donald Trump's civil fraud trial, was sentenced this Wednesday (10) to five months in prison in the US on charges of perjury.
Weisselberg faced five counts of perjury, but in a deal with prosecutors, he agreed to plead guilty to two criminal charges related to testimony he gave in 2020 with the attorney general's office.
Weisselberg also admitted to testifying falsely at last fall's civil fraud trial, but that was not among the charges to which he pleaded guilty.
As part of the plea deal, prosecutors agreed to recommend that Weisselberg serve a five-month prison sentence.
Weisselberg testified falsely about his knowledge of the size of Trump's triplex apartment and how the value of that apartment was inflated in the former president's financial statements for years based on incorrect square footage.
Under his recent agreement with prosecutors, Weisselberg did not plead guilty to perjury in Trump's triplex civil fraud trial, and the parties agreed that he would not be convicted of that conduct.
After the sentence was handed down on Wednesday, Weisselberg was handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom.
This is the second guilty plea by Weisselberg, who in 2022 pleaded guilty to 15 counts of tax fraud and testified in the trial of two companies belonging to the Trump Organization, the Republican's family holding company. He served about four months in prison.
Weisselberg negotiated the plea with Manhattan prosecutors for several weeks in connection with his testimony given during the New York attorney general's civil investigation into the former president in 2020 and his testimony last year.
As part of the plea negotiations, Weisselberg was not expected to turn against Trump and testify against him in the New York money-hiding criminal case, sources said.
Trump is indicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up a payment and refund of money before the 2016 presidential election.
Weisselberg was instrumental in the financial negotiations, but neither prosecutors nor Trump's lawyers have said they plan to call him as a witness. Trump has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
