Former Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg was released from the Rikers Island jail on Wednesday after serving a roughly four-month sentence after he pleaded guilty to several felonies.
The 75-year-old emerged from New York City’s Rikers Island jail complex after serving about 100 days, according to an Associated Press reporter. His term started Jan. 10.
“Anyone who truly knows Allen feels sorry that he had to go through this. I hope he can now retire in peace, spend time with his wonderful family, and leave the circus in the rear view mirror,” his former lawyer Nicholas Gravante said Wednesday. “It was my honor and privilege to have represented him. He’s a true gentleman.”
Weisselberg pleaded guilty last August to failing to pay taxes on $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation, including a Manhattan apartment, Mercedes-Benz cars for him and his wife, and his grandchildren’s school tuition.
With his knowledge of the Trump Organization’s financial dealings, Weisselberg would be a valuable witness for both the prosecution and defense in former President Donald Trump’s criminal case that’s playing out in Manhattan. Earlier this month, Trump was charged by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office with 34 counts of allegedly falsifying business records.
The former president is accused of directing underlings to falsify company business records to disguise payments made to his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, as reimbursement and reward for his work buying the silence of people with stories about Trump’s relationships with several women. Trump has vehemently denied the allegations against him, saying it’s part of a longstanding witch hunt against him.
In court filings, prosecutors said Weisselberg—who has not been charged in the case—advised Cohen how to issue two payments to women. Court papers also said he arranged for Cohen to be paid $420,000 for that work in 12 installments.
Several years ago, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal campaign finance violations in connection to the 2016 payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. He served several years in a federal prison before being released in 2021.
“The Judge ‘assigned’ to my Witch Hunt Case, a ‘Case’ that has NEVER BEEN CHARGED BEFORE, HATES ME. His name is Juan Manuel [Merchan], was hand picked by Bragg & the Prosecutors, & is the same person who ‘railroaded’ my 75 year old former CFO, Allen Weisselberg, to take a ‘plea’ deal (Plead GUILTY, even if you are not, 90 DAYS, fight us in Court, 10 years (life!) in jail. He strong armed Allen, which a judge is not allowed to do, & treated my companies, which didn’t ‘plead,’ VICIOUSLY. APPEALING!” he wrote.
Trump’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, has told multiple news outlets this month that his team will soon file a motion to dismiss the case against Trump. He claimed that the DA, Alvin Bragg, abused his prosecutorial authority and said that the case wouldn’t have been made against anyone other than Trump.
Weisselberg is still a defendant in New York Attorney General Letitia James’s $250 million civil lawsuit accusing him, Trump, and the Trump Organization of allegedly inflating asset values.
The Epoch Times has contacted the Trump Organization for comment.
