Topline
Former President Donald Trump allegedly signed the hush money checks at the center of his criminal trial while at the White House, former Trump Organization Controller Jeffrey McConney testified Monday, laying out a paper trail for the payments that suggests Trump was directly involved in the scheme.
Key Facts
McConney said that checks were sent to Trump to be signed before they were sent to Trump’s then-lawyer Michael Cohen to reimburse Cohen for the money he paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about their affair.
Cohen was initially repaid from a company trust for the $130,000 he gave Daniels in exchange for her silence about her alleged affair with Trump, but when Trump began making the payments from his personal account, the checks had to be sent to the White House for Trump to personally sign, McConney said.
“Somehow we would have to get a package down to the White House,” McConney testified, according to multiple reports, adding that an April 17 check was lost in transit from New York to the White House.
Cohen was paid $315,000 from Trump’s personal account and $105,000 from the trust, McConney explained, money that covered the initial payment to Daniels, plus taxes and a bonus.
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Tangent
Judge Juan Merchan held Trump in contempt for a 10th time Monday for violating a gag order that prohibits him from disparaging the jury in the case. The violation stems from Trump’s comments in an April 22 interview with the right-wing TV channel Real America’s Voice claiming the jury was “mostly all Democrat.” Merchan ordered Trump to pay a $1,000 fine for the violation by Friday and warned that he could face jail time for future violations.
Key Background
Monday marked the third week of testimony in the case accusing Trump of fraudulently recording the reimbursements to Cohen as legal fees in an effort to prevent the deal from hurting his chances of winning the 2016 election. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the case, baselessly claiming it was brought to help President Joe Biden win the election.
Further Reading
Trump Held In Contempt For 10th Time—Judge Threatens Jail Time For More Violations (Forbes)
Hope Hicks Cries When Asked About Her Time Working For Trump In Hush Money Trial Testimony (Forbes)
Trump Admits Gag Order Doesn’t Stop Him From Testifying—After Judge Corrects Him (Forbes)
