The civil fraud trial involving former President Donald Trump has entered its eighth week in New York. During the trial, the defense called Jeffrey McConney, a former executive at the Trump Organization, to testify. McConney’s testimony directly linked Trump to the fraudulent activities at the center of the case.
McConney, who served as Trump Org’s comptroller and spreadsheet czar, had been called as a witness by the defense. However, during cross-examination by lawyers from the state attorney general’s office, McConney implicated Trump in the conspiracy and fraud counts that have yet to be decided in the trial.
McConney was presented with a draft of Trump’s net-worth statement for 2014, which contained alleged exaggerations of $3.5 billion. The lawyer from the state attorney general’s office asked McConney about his handwritten note on the draft, which read, “DJT TO GET FINAL REVIEW.” McConney confirmed that it was his understanding that Trump would review the net-worth statements before they were finalized.
This testimony is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it contradicts McConney’s previous testimony from the prior day. He had previously stated that he would review the draft net-worth statements with the former CFO Allen Weisselberg, who would then give them to the accounting firm Mazars USA for finalization. However, McConney’s handwritten notes on the drafts indicate that Trump himself made revisions and provided the final approval.
Furthermore, McConney’s notes suggest that Trump intentionally included non-existent assets in the net-worth statements, despite McConney’s cautionary recommendations. This supports the attorney general’s argument that Trump regularly inflated his wealth in these statements.
The trial will ultimately determine whether the five defendants, including Trump’s two eldest sons and former executives, are liable for violating state laws related to fraud and conspiracy. New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron has already found that Trump’s net-worth statements from 2014 to 2021 fraudulently inflated his wealth.
The defense’s argument that the accountants were solely responsible for any fraudulent activities is undermined by McConney’s handwritten notes, which show Trump’s direct involvement in the drafting and approval process.
The trial will resume on Monday with testimony expected from Mark Hawthorn, the chief accounting officer for Trump Hotels.
