The former controller of the Trump Organization, Jeff McConney, became emotional on the witness stand during the fraud trial. After four days of testimony, McConney, who had worked for the company for 35 years, tearfully explained to the court on Tuesday that the strain of numerous investigations and allegations of misconduct compelled him to leave the organization.
“I just couldn’t do it anymore,” McConney expressed, tears welling up. “I just wanted to relax and stop being accused of misrepresenting assets for the company that I loved working for.”
As reported by CNN, the emotional moment occurred when Jesus Suarez, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, inquired about McConney’s departure from the Trump Organization before the lunch break. McConney, visibly moved, took a moment, removed his glasses, and raised his arms. In response to his emotional state, Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, signaled for a box of tissues, which was promptly provided by a court officer with the approval of Judge Arthur Engoron.
Apologizing for his emotional reaction, McConney explained that the toll of being subjected to multiple subpoenas and testifying in connection to various government cases accusing him of wrongdoing had taken a significant toll on him.
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Throughout his testimony, McConney, a co-defendant in the civil fraud trial, expressed pride in his 35-year career with the Trump Organization. However, he detailed how years of investigations, particularly those accusing him of inflating asset valuations on Trump’s financial statements, had led him to the point of frustration, ultimately prompting him to “give up.”
Under cross-examination, McConney acknowledged that he had received all but $125,000 of a $500,000 severance package from the Trump Organization. The Assistant New York Attorney General, Andrew Amer, challenged McConney’s claim that the accounting firm Mazars was responsible for most of the notes and disclaimers on Trump’s personal financial statements.
Amer presented McConney with his own handwritten edits on statement drafts, previously attributed to Mazars, indicating that McConney had played a more significant role in the process than he had suggested. Additionally, Amer suggested that McConney was still involved in financial statements as late as 2021, contradicting earlier testimony.
The trial is set to resume after the Thanksgiving break, with Trump Hotels CFO Mark Hawthorn expected to testify. Deutsche Bank lenders who worked with the Trump Organization on loans relevant to the case are scheduled to testify under subpoena the following Tuesday.
