Jeffrey McConney, controller for the Trump Organization, leaves New York State Supreme Court in New York, US, on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. Donald Trump is facing off against New York Attorney General Letitia James in a contentious civil trial that threatens his control over his real estate empire in the state. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Getty)
"President Trump did not ask you to do any of the things you just described ... correct?" Bove asked.
"He did not," McConney replied.
Trump is in Manhattan for the fourth week of trial, where he is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records. The NY v. Trump case focuses on Trump’s former attorney Cohen paying former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with the then-real estate tycoon in 2006. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels.
Michael Cohen, former personal lawyer to US President Donald Trump, right, outside federal court in New York, US, on Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
McConney also detailed that Cohen was initially reimbursed through a trust, before switching to payments from Trump’s personal account. An email from McConney to Cohen was entered into evidence, which showed the controller replying to Cohen and confirming that checks would have to be sent to the White House to be signed by Trump.
Cohen was paid a total of $420,000, according to the testimony, a sum that was "grossed up" so Cohen wouldn’t lose money through taxes.
His testimony during cross-examination bolstered the Trump team’s defense, with the executive outlining that the 45th president did not have an active role in the reimbursements to Cohen.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom as his criminal trial over charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 continues, at Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S., April 22, 2024. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/Pool)
TRUMP DELIVERS PIZZA TO NEW YORK CITY FIREFIGHTERS IN CAMPAIGN STOP AFTER DAY IN COURT
McConney is the prosecution team’s 10th witness since the trial began in mid-April. Last week, the court heard from Keith Davidson, an attorney who once represented Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal; computer forensic analyst for the DA’s office, Doug Daus; bank executive Gary Farro; and Hope Hicks, who worked for the Trump Organization and later served as Trump’s press secretary during the 2016 presidential campaign.
The Trump trial is expected to last at least six weeks. Trump has railed against the case as a "scam" promoted by the Biden administration ahead of the 2024 election.
Earlier Monday, presiding Judge Juan Merchan said he will consider a jail sentence for Trump if he continues to violate a gag order. The gag order prevents Trump from making or directing others to make public statements about witnesses and their potential participation, or remarks about court staff, DA staff or family members of staff.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The DA's office argued that Trump had violated the order more than a dozen times, with the judge ruling last week that Trump violated the order nine times, resulting in a combined $9,000 fine. Merchan fined the former president another $1,000 for an additional violation on Monday, while arguing it's "clear" that $1,000 fines for each violation are not effective.
"The last thing I want to consider is jail," Merchan said. "You are [the] former president and possibly the next president."
Fox News Digital' Brooke Singman and Michael Lee contributed to this report.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more Fox News politics content.
Subscribed
You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter!
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ny-v-trump-da-witness-testifies-trump-did-not-direct-him-cohen-repayments