Allen Weisselberg is “the one guy who knows everything” about Donald Trump’s finances. That’s why prosecutors are putting the squeeze on his family; pressure Weisselberg’s nearest and dearest and maybe the longtime Chief Financial Officer of the Trump Organization will turn on the former president.
According to a new report in The Washington Post, investigators at the Manhattan District Attorney’s office are asking why Barry Weisselberg, Allen’s son, received a large compensation package while working for Trump: more than $200,000 in annual salary, $40,000 yearly bonuses and free lodging at a company-owned apartment.
Barry was the manager of the Trump-owned Wollman Skating Rink, which is open just six months a year. The business is cash-only, a classic indicator of potential tax avoidance. Tax fraud is among the many issues being probed by the D.A.’s office, which has obtained millions of documents – including tax returns – related to Trump’s finances.
Earlier this week, Barry Weisselberg’s ex-wife, Jennifer, handed over financial records and a laptop to the D.A.’s office. The Washington Post obtained some of these documents, as well as a transcript of a deposition Barry gave as part of the couple’s 2017-18 divorce proceedings.
Citing this trove of potential evidence, The Washington Post reports that Barry said he was unaware of who paid the taxes on his company-provided apartment. He also admitted that he made “errors” on financial disclosures related to the divorce.
Barry said he had “no idea” how his bonus was calculated. He said he’d received a salary in excess of $200,000 for “as long as he could remember.” He joined the Trump Organization in 1986. Allen, his father, began working for Fred Trump in 1970.
When pressed on his financial arrangements with the Trump Organization, Barry was evasive, saying he’s “not an accountant.”
Barry said his father provided “financial support” to cover his living expenses. These living expenses, according to The Washington Post, included “$546 a month for a leased Range Rover Velar SUV, $49,000 annually for each of his children to attend private school, $25,000 each for their sleep-away camp and $2,200 for his daughter’s Hebrew school.” Allen Weisselberg also provided $7,900 in monthly rent to his son when he eventually moved out of the Trump-owned apartment.
Such extensive financial support to a man making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year is curious, but Barry seems to be a spendthrift. At the time of his divorce, he had amassed a large collection of sneakers – between 150 and 175 pairs. But Barry explained that he hadn’t paid full-price; because he worked for the Trump Organization, he received a discount at the Nike store in Trump Tower.
