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Witness testimony in Trump’s hush money trial wraps for the day

From CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren Del Valle, Jeremy Herb and Sabrina Souza in the courthouse
Updated 5:53 PM EDT, Mon May 6, 2024
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What we covered here

Our live coverage of the trial has ended for the day. Court proceedings will resume tomorrow morning.

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Witnesses walk through how bills were paid at Trump Org. Here’s what happened in court and why it matters

From CNN's Elise Hammond
Jeffrey McConney, right, testified on Monday. He was a longtime Trump Organization controller.
Jeffrey McConney, right, testified on Monday. He was a longtime Trump Organization controller.
Jane Rosenberg

In the hush money trial against the former president, prosecutors called two witnesses Monday who worked in accounting in the Trump Organization: Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Org. controller, and Deborah Tarasoff, an accounts payable supervisor.

McConney walked the jury through the paper trail that showed how executives organized and paid back Michael Cohen for the money he sent to Stormy Daniels’ attorney. This is important because at the heart of the trial — the falsification of business records — are the payments to Cohen, which were listed as retainer fees.

Tarasoff described in more detail how checks were paid at the organization and when Trump’s approval was needed for payments.

Here’s what happened in court today:

Jeffrey McConney

  • McConney testified that he had a conversation with Allen Weisselberg, former chief financial officer of the Trump Org., about a need to “reimburse” Cohen. McConney then showed jurors 12 checks, each for $35,000, that were paid to Cohen in 2017. Cohen sent invoices for those checks and asked that the payments be listed as part of a “retainer agreement.” As previous testimony in the trial revealed, there was no actual retainer for Cohen.
  • McConney also explained to the jury why Cohen was paid $420,000 in all and how each check was cut, first from Trump’s revocable trust and then from his personal account.
  • The jury also saw business records relating to the payment to Cohen that are tied to several of the 34 falsifying business records charges against Trump. The records show several rows and columns organized to record the payments.
  • On cross-examination, Trump attorney Emil Bove questioned McConney about his knowledge of Trump’s role in these payments. “President Trump did not ask you to do any of the things you described?” Bove asked. “He did not,” McConney testified. He said he was told to do this work by Weisselberg. McConney also said he did not know if Cohen did legal work for Trump in 2017.
Deborah Tarasoff, who works in the Trump Organization accounting department, is questioned on Monday.
Deborah Tarasoff, who works in the Trump Organization accounting department, is questioned on Monday.
Jane Rosenberg

Deborah Tarasoff

  • As accounts payable supervisor, Tarasoff said she would get an approved invoice, enter it into the system, cut the check and get it signed. Tarasoff testified that Trump or his sons needed to approve invoices of more than $10,000 and Trump was the only person who authorized checks from his personal account, including during his presidency.
  • Tarasoff said Trump would sign the checks by hand. She said they were signed in black Sharpie. Tarasoff said Trump did not always sign the checks, even when Weisselberg approved them. He would “write ‘void’ and send it back,” she noted.
  • Before Trump was president, Tarasoff testified that she “would cut the check, put it with the backup and bring it over to Rhona (Graff) who would bring it in to Mr. Trump to sign,” referring to Trump’s former longtime assistant. The invoices and the checks were stapled together, she said, with the check on top of the invoice. When Trump became president, Tarasoff said they would mail checks to the White House.
  • The jury was shown the voucher form that said “retainer” in the description line that Tarasoff said she obtained from the invoice. Tarasoff also confirmed each of the $35,000 checks with Trump’s signature were sent to Cohen.
  • On cross-examination, she acknowledged that she was not present for conversations between Trump and Weisselberg about the payments. She also said she worked with Trump’s children Eric, Don Jr. and Ivanka Trump, over the years. Tarasoff still works for Trump Org., which means she works for Eric Trump, who was also in the courtroom today.

What’s next: Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass estimated they still need about two weeks from tomorrow to make their case. He stresses that’s a very rough estimate. The defense will also get an opportunity to call its witnesses after that if they choose.

Judge Juan Merchan ruled that Trump again violated his gag order for his comments about the jury.
Judge Juan Merchan ruled that Trump again violated his gag order for his comments about the jury.
Jane Rosenberg

Gag order hearing: Judge Juan Merchan found Trump in contempt for violating the gag order again, specifically concerning comments he made about the makeup of the jury in this case. Prosecutors had alleged Trump violated the gag order on four separate occasions. The judge ruled that the three other comments did not violate the order. “Going forward this court will have to consider a jail sanction,” Merchan said, noting the $1,000 fine is not stopping him, but he told Trump “incarceration is truly a last resort.”

Remember: Trump faces 34 counts of falsifying business records. Each criminal charge relates to a specific entry among the business records of the Trump Organization, according to the indictment. Prosecutors allege that Trump allegedly disguised the transaction to Daniels as a legal payment and falsified business records numerous times to “promote his candidacy” in the 2016 election.

Prosecutors roughly estimate they need about two more weeks to make their case

Judge Juan Merchan asks the prosecution how they’re doing on timing for making their case.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass says they’re doing “well,” but estimates they still need about two weeks from tomorrow. He stresses that’s a very rough estimate.

Trump tapped defense attorney Todd Blanche’s arm as Steinglass made the estimation.

What Deborah Tarasoff said in just over an hour of testimony

From CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren del Valle, Jeremy Herb and Sabrina Souza
Deborah Tarasoff, who worked in the Trump Organization accounting department, testifies on Monday.
Deborah Tarasoff, who worked in the Trump Organization accounting department, testifies on Monday.
Christine Cornell

Deborah Tarasoff, an employee in the Trump Organization’s accounting department, testified for just over an hour Monday about the check-writing process at the company.

Tarasoff helped arrange the 12 checks for $35,000, each signed by Donald Trump and sent to former attorney Michael Cohen in 2017 as reimbursement for the $130,000 hush money payment to Stormy Daniels.

She testified that after 2015 any invoice over $10,000 had to be approved by Trump or one of his sons. When she created the checks, Trump would sign them, she testified — or, if he disapproved, he would write “void” on them, she said.

“If he didn’t want to sign it, he didn’t sign it,” she said. She knew he was the one signing them because, “It was signed in Sharpie and it was black and that’s what he uses.”

She testified she had no decision-making authority but followed instructions, including getting invoices approved, entering them into the system, cutting the checks and getting them signed.

On cross-examination, she acknowledged that she was not present for conversations between Trump and former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg about the payments.

Judge tells jury they'll wrap up early today

“Jurors we’re going to stop a little bit early today,” Judge Juan Merchan tells the jury.

The jurors are now leaving.

Tarasoff is off the stand

Trump attorney Todd Blanche just wrapped up his cross-examination of Deborah Tarasoff.

There won’t be a redirect, and Tarasoff is off the stand

Tarasoff says she doesn't know what happened to Cohen checks after they were mailed but they returned signed

Trump attorney Todd Blanche also noted that Deborah Tarasoff was not present for conversations between former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg and Donald Trump.

“When Mr. Weisselberg on some of the emails or Mr. McConney told you to go ahead and pay it, generate a check, you didn’t get permission from President Trump himself, correct?” Blanche said.

“Correct,” she said.

She clarified with Blanche that all the checks to Michael Cohen shown in court were signed and that she doesn’t know what happened with the checks after she mailed them to the White House.

But she did receive them back in the mail signed.

Blanche follows up with more questions about invoices

Attorney Todd Blanche is asking Deborah Tarasoff if Trump was focused on getting ready to be president during the start of 2017.

“I think so,” Tarasoff replies.

Blanche follows up and asks whether the requests to pay for invoices “happens all the time?” Yes, Tarasoff says.

Blanche is trying to rehabilitate earlier testimony from Tarasoff that Trump would sometimes void checks for invoices he didn’t want to pay. “If he didn’t want to sign it, he didn’t sign it,” she testified earlier.

Tarasoff says Trump Org. is family-run and says she's worked with Don Jr., Eric and Ivanka Trump

Deborah Tarasoff confirms to defense attorney Todd Blanche that the Trump Organization is a family-run business. She says she has worked with Trump’s children Eric, Don Jr. and Ivanka Trump over the years.

Trump is fully turned 90 degrees in his chair while Tarasoff is testifying. His arm is over the back of the chair, and he’s facing toward Tarasoff.

Prosecutors have finished their questioning of Tarasoff

Prosecutors have wrapped up their questioning of Deborah Tarasoff. Trump attorney Todd Blanche is now starting his cross-examination for the defense.

Prosecutor is walking witness through more Cohen invoices 

Prosecutor Chris Conroy is resuming questioning of witness Deborah Tarasoff.

“I think as we were walking through those exhibits, I missed one,” Conroy said, bringing up the June 2017 invoice from Michael Cohen — and implicitly acknowledging the tedious process of going through every piece of paperwork.

Caught up to September, the jury is again seeing Tarasoff’s accounts payable stamp on Cohen’s invoice.

Tarasoff is reading the same emails from this morning that Cohen sent to former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg with the 2017 invoices attached. She’s then testifying to each of the vouchers associated with those invoices.

She’s also testifying about each of the $35,000 checks with Trump’s signature sent to Cohen.

Tarasoff taps Eric Trump on the knee as she returns to witness stand

As she made her way back to the witness stand, Deborah Tarasoff tapped Eric Trump on the knee.

Tarasoff still works for the Trump Organization, which means she works for Eric Trump, who’s in the courtroom today.

Witness testimony highlights small scale of Trump Organization’s accounting operation

From CNN's Elise Hammond

The two witnesses who took the stand on Monday in the hush money trial against Donald Trump are giving the jury an inside look at how the Trump Organization pays its bills — and how small the organization is, CNN analysts say.

Jeffrey McConney, a former Trump Organization controller; and Deborah Tarasoff, an accounts payable supervisor, walked the jury through the accounting processes. Their testimonies painted the picture that it was an “intimate affair,” CNN political director David Chalian said.

Before Trump was president, Tarasoff testified that she “would cut the check, put it with the backup and bring it over to Rhona (Graff) who would bring it in to Mr. Trump to sign,” referring to Trump’s former longtime assistant. 

The invoices and the checks were stapled together, she said, with the check on top of the invoice.

While there is no testimony directly linking Trump with the payments, the fact that the accounting operation was small suggests that “at a certain point it becomes hard to square that the head at the top of the organization is not aware of what these checks are and what they mean,” said CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams.

Judge is back on the bench

Judge Juan Merchan is back on the bench.

Deborah Tarasoff is also back on the witness stand, and prosecutor Chris Conroy is standing at the lectern while they wait to get the jury.

During the break, Trump was standing and talking to his attorney Todd Blanche.

Court is taking a short break

Court is taking a break. Judge Juan Merchan is now off the bench.

Trump held a few papers as he left the courtroom for the break.

Tarasoff said she had to confirm payment amount of July invoice as it was not listed

In July, there wasn’t an amount on the invoice for Michael Cohen. Deborah Tarasoff said she asked to confirm the amount was $35,000.

“Pay same amount per Jeff + Allen,” is written in pen on the invoice.

The jury is then shown the check for August 2017 signed by Donald Trump

Tarasoff on monthly checks to Cohen: "If I got an invoice, I approved an invoice"

After looking at May’s check to Michael Cohen, prosecutor Chris Conroy asks Deborah Tarasoff if she approved a check every month for the rest of the year.

“If I got an invoice, I approved an invoice, yes,” she says

Prosecution walks Tarasoff through each check she cut to be sent to Cohen

Prosecutors are now walking Deborah Tarasoff through each check that she cut that was sent to Michael Cohen.

This is similar to the line of questioning prosecutors took this morning, where they had Jeffrey McConney walk through each monthly invoice Cohen sent.

Tarasoff testified that the check dated April 18, 2017, was lost and voided in June 2017. It was then reissued, she said.

Jurors being shown voided February 2017 check to Cohen from the trust

Jurors are also being shown a voided check dated February 14, 2017, to Michael Cohen from the revocable trust, for $70,000.

The check is stamped VOID, which Deborah Tarasoff explains happens when the check is photocopied. But the check is not void.

“Two signatures needed on amts over $10,000,” is written above the signatures.

Jury sees $70,000 check from trust to Cohen

Deborah Tarasoff is now testifying about a check stub for $70,000 covering the January and February 2017 payments from the trust to Michael Cohen.

The jury is seeing the first check for $70,000 to cover the January and February 2017 payment from the trust account to Cohen.

There are two signatures: Eric Trump and Allen Weisselberg.

Tarasoff is being shown emails and invoices, including one with her stamp on it

Deborah Tarasoff is now being shown the same emails and invoices that Jeffrey McConney testified to this morning.

“Please pay from the Trust. Post to legal expenses. Put ‘retainer for the months of January and February 2017’ in the description,” read a February 14, 2017, email McConney sent to Tarasoff.

Tarasoff is shown another version of the email with an “ACCOUNTS PAYABLE” stamp on it. Tarasoff told the court that’s her stamp, which says it was paid out of the entity for the revocable trust.

The coded number on the accounts payable stamp was 51505 — the code for legal expenses.

The jury is being shown the voucher form that said “retainer” in the description line. Tarasoff said she obtained the information for the voucher from the invoice. The distribution line on the voucher was filled out as “legal expense,” which Tarasoff said she had copied from the invoice.

Earlier today, the jury saw a full list of the vouchers in a spreadsheet during McConney’s testimony.