FRAUD: Allen Weisselberg
- Yasmin Sudarsanam
- Aug 8, 2024
- 3 min read
In a continuation of our past series examining a sequence of recent convictions related to Donald Trump's 2016-2020 presidency, today’s case revolves around the ex-chief financial officer of Donald Trump’s family real estate company. Not only was this individual convicted on charges of tax evasion, but he also went on to plead guilty to charges of perjury in relation to his testimony in one of Trump’s trials as well. This is the story of Allen Weisselberg.
Allen Howard Weisselberg was born on August 15, 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. Raised in a Jewish family, Weisselberg graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School before earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Pace University in 1970.
Weisselberg’s employment with the Trump family extended fifty years into the past, beginning with when he started working as an accountant for real-estate magnate Fred Trump in 1973, gaining control of the company by the late 1980s. Then, he became chief financial officer and vice president of Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts in 2000 in addition to being named a board member and treasurer of the Donald J. Trump Foundation. Furthermore, Weisselberg served as co-trustee of a trust created by Trump in 2017 before his inauguration as president of the United States, and the family even gifted him a $2 million severance deal after he was forced to retire by fraud charges in 2022.
Speaking of those fraud charges, Weisselberg first pleaded guilty in 2022 to fifteen charges including grand larceny, criminal tax fraud, and falsifying business records. Prosecutors accused him of evading taxes on $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation from the Trump Organization, coming in the form of an apartment, a luxury car, and school tuition for his grandchildren. Weisselberg served three out of a five month sentence for these charges, and he was permanently banned from serving in a position of financial control of any New York business or corporation and banned from acting as director or officer for three years.
Not even two years later, Weisselberg also pleaded guilty to perjury charges related to his testimony in Trump’s civil fraud trial. He admitted to lying about the size of Trump’s Fifth Avenue Manhattan triplex in a knowing attempt to mislead investigators in order to obtain more favorable loans and insurance rates. Although Trump’s financial records list the property as over 30,000 square feet with an estimated value at around $327 million, in reality, it stands at just under 11,000 square feet and is closer to $117 million in value. In a civil fraud trial, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered Weisselberg to pay $1 million for his role in deceiving banks and insurers by lying about Trump’s wealth, although Weisselberg is appealing this conviction and sentencing. In the same decision, Trump, who is also appealing, was ordered to pay a whopping $455 million. For his perjury in Trump’s civil fraud trial, Weisselberg received a sentence of five months in Jail on April 10, 2024 in a hearing that lasted under five minutes. Although unconfirmed, he also allegedly had a role in orchestrating the payments to adult-film actress Stormy Daniels, payments in relation to which Trump recently underwent trial.
Just a few weeks ago, on July 19, 2024, Weisselberg was released from jail after serving time on the perjury charges, and he has since returned to his life as a retiree. However his name will undoubtedly resurface in coming months as we approach the election.
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