New York (AP) — Donald Trump Executive The company testified Monday that it was terrified to hear the famous saying, “You’re fired!” — If you go to the big boss because you’re worried that two company officials are plotting tax evasion About company benefits.
Senior Vice President and Controller Jeffrey McConey Tells Jurors in Trump Organization Criminal Tax Fraud Trial Whether it’s criticizing longtime finance chief Allen Weisselberg or operations chief Matthew Calamari, or complaining about being two of Trump’s most trusted and loyal lieutenants, He said he didn’t see the good side.
“I thought if I refused or started fighting back, I would probably lose my job,” McConney said near the end of his sometimes controversial fourth day of testimony..
“Allen was my boss. Who was I going to tell? Said. “I was going to do what he told me.”
Judge Juan Manuel Merchán said McConny was far more sensitive to the defense’s questioning, even though he was given immunity to testify as a witness for the prosecution, after prosecutors complained. , declared McConny to be an adversary witness.
McConey, who still works for the Trump Organization and has a company-paid lawyer, admitted in the witness stand on Monday that he had spoken to the company’s lawyer about his testimony when the court was not in session. He even said he did some tax calculations on their behalf on Sunday night.
“I think it’s clear to the average observer that he’s going to be very helpful to you (the defender),” said Marchan. “On the other hand, he seems to have a very hard time understanding people’s questions and, quite frankly, struggles to come up with reliable answers.”
McConney is scheduled to return to the witness stand on Tuesday. As a hostile witness, he could face several more hours of questioning. Prosecutors are seeking to straighten out his previous trial testimony and answers to questions during his eight grand jury appearances over the past several years.
The Trump Organization, the holding company for the former president’s various assets, including buildings, golf courses and hotels, has been accused of helping some executives avoid income taxes on compensation they received in addition to their salaries. increase.
The company, which could face fines of more than $1 million if convicted, has denied wrongdoing. Lawyers for the company argued that Weisselberg worked out the plan independently without the knowledge of Trump or the Trump family, and that the company did not profit from his actions.
Weisselberg, 75, pleaded guilty to receiving $1.7 million in off-the-books compensation and could testify as a prosecution witness at trial as early as Tuesday in exchange for five months in prison. I agree.
Susan Necheres, an attorney at the Trump Organization, turned part of McConney’s cross-examination into a preemptive strike on Weisselberg — eliciting testimony that he secretly tried to enrich himself on the company’s dime. .
McConey said Weisselberg and Calamari Sr. have relied on him for years to falsify payroll records to hide extras like Manhattan apartments and Mercedes-Benz cars from taxable income. rice field. -2 forms.
McConney said his boss, Weisselberg, set up his wife for a one-time $6,000 paycheck for a no-show job at the company so that she could qualify for Social Security benefits. I even let him. He said Weisselberg warned him not to talk to others at the company about what they were doing.
“Allen Weisselberg didn’t want the rest of the company to know this secret,” McConney said.
Trump has approved some salary adjustments — which McConney claims are a way to repay the company for benefits — but he has been accused of not paying taxes. It is not clear whether he knew.
Neither Mr. Trump nor his children, who have worked as executives for the Trump Organization, have been indicted or accused of wrongdoing.
Prosecutor Joshua Steingras noticed McConney’s reluctance to speak to Trump and questioned him in what is known as a re-introduction.
“You forged a W-2, invented an employee, and gave her a W-2 for a job she didn’t perform,” Steingglass asked. “Have you ever brought this to Donald Trump’s attention and said, ‘The CFO is trying to get me to commit fraud…I’m reluctant to do this’?”
“No,” said McConney.
Also on Monday, a judge in the New York Attorney General’s fraud case against Trump and the Trump Organization appointed former Manhattan federal judge Barbara Jones as an independent monitor to oversee the company’s business dealings.
Jones recently served as a special agent in two other high-profile cases involving Trump. She reviewed materials seized in her FBI raid against Trump’s former personal lawyer — Michael Cohen in an investigation related to hush-money payments, Rudy Giuliani in his case in Ukraine. in a transaction investigation.
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