(ConservativeSense.com) – Donald Trump’s former finance manager, Allen Weisselberg, was called to testify in the fraud trial initiated by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Mr. Weisselberg worked with the former President for decades and is expected to testify about conversations he had with Trump when formal financial statements were prepared. The Attorney General’s lawsuit claims that Weisselberg engineered Trump’s financial declarations and was therefore instrumental in the alleged overvaluation of his assets.
Earlier this year, Weisselberg served 100 days in a New York prison for failing to pay taxes on job perks worth $1.7 million. During a deposition in May, he told Letitia James and other state attorneys that he had been through a “traumatic and difficult time.” Trump said what happened to Weisselberg was “very sad” and acknowledged that he had stuck by him for many years. “He was with me for a long time. He was liked. He was respected,” Trump said.
Donald Trump is accused of falsifying records and overvaluing assets to secure bank loans and investments as he built his real estate empire in New York. One of the properties introduced as evidence is Mr. Trump’s Manhattan apartment, which he allegedly described as 30,000 square feet in size and worth $326 million. The Attorney General said this description is “absurd,” and the apartment is less than half that size.
Trump also said his office building on Wall Street was worth $530 million, while independent appraisers said that was an overvaluation by more than double.
Former President Trump said the case is just another element of the witch hunt against him and another attempt to interfere with the 2024 presidential election. He said the banks and investors he did business with have all made money from him, and his alleged wrongdoing had no victims attached.
The punishment for Mr. Trump could be severe, as James seeks a $250,000 million fine to prevent him from conducting future business in his home state.
Copyright 2023, ConservativeSense.com
