Former Trump Organization executive, Jeffrey McConney, testified in a New York court about approving payments to Michael Cohen in 2017. According to McConney, the Trump Organization’s ex-CFO, Allen Weisselberg, initiated the payment arrangement. McConney stated that Weisselberg instructed him to reimburse Cohen for $130,000, which Cohen had paid to Stormy Daniels’s lawyer to silence her before the 2016 election.
Prosecutors presented evidence of Cohen’s payment to Daniels, which was made under false pretenses. Weisselberg’s handwritten notes detailed how Trump would reimburse Cohen, provide a bonus and technology services, and gross up the amount for taxes.
The trial focused on accounting topics and the paper trail of payments, essential for prosecutors to prove Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s claims. Bragg alleged that Trump falsified records to conceal Cohen’s payment to Daniels, part of an election interference conspiracy. Defense attorneys argued that suppressing unfavorable stories during an election is not illegal.
Prosecutors explained how Trump made 12 payments of $35,000 to Cohen as reimbursement, but struggled to show Trump’s detailed knowledge of the payment plan. Despite McConney labeling the payments as legal expenses, prosecutors found no documentation of a retainer.
The trial will proceed for approximately two more weeks before Trump’s defense presents its case. Weisselberg, currently serving time for perjury and tax fraud, has cooperated with prosecutors. Defense attorneys highlighted Trump’s busy schedule at the time, suggesting he may not have been fully aware of the payment arrangement.
