By Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News (TNS)
Donald Trump’s former finance chief, Allen Weisselberg, was released from Rikers Island early on Friday, after serving 100 days of a five-month prison sentence.
The New York City Department of Correction did not provide further detail on Weisselberg’s early release, though CBS News reported it was due to good behavior.
Weisselberg, 76, pleaded guilty to two counts of perjury earlier this year in connection with New York Attorney General Letitia James’ fraud lawsuit against Trump.
A fiercely loyal Trump ally, Weisselberg previously served 99 days in jail for committing criminal tax fraud as the chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, the former president’s holding company. He was released in April of last year, also for good behavior.
Weisselberg’s latest prison term stemmed from James’ civil lawsuit against Trump, in which he and the organization were found liable for inflating the value of properties in New York, particularly a penthouse triplex in Manhattan’s Trump Tower.
During two depositions and at trial in October 2023, Weisselberg lied to investigators about his role in juicing property values.
He was initially charged with five counts of perjury, and admitted to two in a plea deal. The agreement locked in his latest five-month sentence at Rikers.
Weisselberg’s lies did little to help Trump in the civil fraud case, as Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron ordered the former president to pay $454 million in penalties. In the same ruling, Engoron ordered Weisselberg to fork over $1 million, half of a $2 million severance package he received from the Trump Organization.
Weisselberg was on the list of potential witnesses at Trump’s hush-money trial, which resulted in the first criminal conviction of a former president in American history. However, neither side called Weisselberg to the stand, given his history of lying under oath.
“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,” Rosenberg said after April’s sentencing hearing.
With News Wire Services
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©2024 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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