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Former President Donald Trump did not personally nonstop a Trump Organization enforcement to acceptable up reimbursement payments to erstwhile Trump lawyer Michael Cohen, according to witnesser grounds Monday successful the NY v. Trump case.
"Michael Cohen was a lawyer?" defence lawyer Emil Bove asked erstwhile Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney Monday astatine the commencement of the 4th week of the trial.
"Sure, yes," McConney responded.
"And payments to lawyers by the Trump Organization are ineligible expenses, right?" asked Bove.
"Yes," said McConney.
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Jeffrey McConney, controller for the Trump Organization, leaves New York State Supreme Court successful New York, US, connected Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. Donald Trump is facing disconnected against New York Attorney General Letitia James successful a contentious civilian proceedings that threatens his power implicit his existent property empire successful the state. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty)
"President Trump did not inquire you to bash immoderate of the things you conscionable described ... correct?" Bove asked.
"He did not," McConney replied.
Trump is successful Manhattan for the 4th week of trial, wherever helium is facing 34 counts of falsifying concern records. The NY v. Trump case focuses connected Trump’s erstwhile lawyer Cohen paying erstwhile pornographic histrion Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiescent her claims of an alleged extramarital matter she had with the then-real property tycoon successful 2006. Trump has denied having an matter with Daniels.
Emil Bove and erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump chat during Trump's transgression proceedings connected charges that helium falsified concern records to conceal wealth paid to soundlessness porn prima Stormy Daniels successful 2016, successful Manhattan authorities tribunal successful New York City, U.S. April 26, 2024, successful this courtroom sketch. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
Prosecutors allege that the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen and fraudulently logged the payments arsenic ineligible expenses. Prosecutors are moving to beryllium that Trump falsified records with the intent to perpetrate oregon conceal a 2nd crime, which is simply a felony.
McConney, who served arsenic the Trump Organization's controller for much than 2 decades, took the basal Monday, wherever helium was grilled by some prosecutors and the defence team.
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McConney testified that helium was directed by erstwhile Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg to reimburse Cohen with $35,000 per period payments, with the past being sent to Cohen successful December of 2017.
Michael Cohen, erstwhile idiosyncratic lawyer to US President Donald Trump, right, extracurricular national tribunal successful New York, US, connected Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
McConney besides elaborate that Cohen was initially reimbursed done a trust, earlier switching to payments from Trump’s idiosyncratic account. An email from McConney to Cohen was entered into evidence, which showed the controller replying to Cohen and confirming that checks would person to beryllium sent to the White House to beryllium signed by Trump.
Cohen was paid a full of $420,000, according to the testimony, a sum that was "grossed up" truthful Cohen wouldn’t suffer wealth done taxes.
His grounds during cross-examination bolstered the Trump team’s defense, with the enforcement outlining that the 45th president did not person an progressive relation successful the reimbursements to Cohen.
Piers Morgan’s planned interrogation with Stormy Daniels is backmost connected aft the big movie prima postponed it past week owed to immoderate information issues. (Phillip Faraone/Getty Images)
"And arsenic acold arsenic you know, President Trump did not inquire anyone to bash those things?" Bove continued, arsenic prosecutors objected.
"In nary of the conversations that you had with Mr. Weisselberg, did helium suggest that President Trump had told him to bash these things?" Bove pressed.
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"Allen ne'er told maine that," McConney said.
Republican statesmanlike campaigner and erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump sits successful the courtroom arsenic his transgression proceedings implicit charges that helium falsified concern records to conceal wealth paid to soundlessness porn prima Stormy Daniels successful 2016 continues, astatine Manhattan authorities tribunal successful New York City, U.S., April 22, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Pool)
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McConney is the prosecution team’s 10th witnesser since the proceedings began successful mid-April. Last week, the tribunal heard from Keith Davidson, an lawyer who erstwhile represented Daniels and Playboy exemplary Karen McDougal; machine forensic expert for the DA’s office, Doug Daus; slope enforcement Gary Farro; and Hope Hicks, who worked for the Trump Organization and aboriginal served arsenic Trump’s property caput during the 2016 statesmanlike campaign.
The Trump trial is expected to past astatine slightest six weeks. Trump has railed against the lawsuit arsenic a "scam" promoted by the Biden medication up of the 2024 election.
Earlier Monday, presiding Judge Juan Merchan said helium volition see a jailhouse condemnation for Trump if helium continues to interruption a gag order. The gag bid prevents Trump from making oregon directing others to marque nationalist statements astir witnesses and their imaginable participation, oregon remarks astir tribunal staff, DA unit oregon household members of staff.
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The DA's bureau argued that Trump had violated the bid much than a twelve times, with the justice ruling past week that Trump violated the bid 9 times, resulting successful a combined $9,000 fine. Merchan fined the erstwhile president different $1,000 for an further usurpation connected Monday, portion arguing it's "clear" that $1,000 fines for each usurpation are not effective.
"The past happening I privation to see is jail," Merchan said. "You are [the] erstwhile president and perchance the adjacent president."
Fox News Digital' Brooke Singman and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
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