Trump’s history-making hush-money trial begins ...(Mod Warning)

Even factoring out the obvious, which is that show is biased in a negative way about Trump, the facts and what Trump actually said is astoundingly stupid.
Reading off some of the posts on TS and some of the emails sounds like an unhinged person.
All Americans need to vote. Trump, IMO, is not qualified to be president of the us. I hope enough Americans think that way and elect Biden over Trump.
I would've liked to see two different candidates, but given the binary choice, I see it as a no contest.
Trump is deranged. Our system should keep him from doing much harm, but even with that it will be wasted years of getting nothing accomplished, similar to the first 4 years.

 

A plea deal and one w/o jail time there's no need to appeal.
I can see him telling his devotees that he needs to campaign against the commie Biden yada,yada, as he keeps losing support as shown from polls.
I think he's scared shitless now and he's getting more and more mentally deranged as the trial proceeds.
His supporters will believe anything he tells them and I can see him trying to get out of the trial.

 

Another thing, one which Trumper's ignored when brought to their attention numerous times.
Trump trashed AG Litita James and Democrats for months over the 250 million fraud case yet he tried to plea/settle with James right up to the trial.
She refused his offers.

 

4 min ago
Trump leaves with his son and lawyers for the break


Trump was whispering with his attorney Todd Blanche when Jeffery McConney left the stand. Trump did not appear to look at him

Eric Trump and Alina Habba, who are in the courtroom today, left with Trump and his attorneys for the break.

7 min ago
The court is taking a short break
The court is taking a short morning break.

Jeffrey McConney, the former longtime Trump Organization controller, is expected to continue to testify when the court returns.

7 min ago
McConney says he doesn't recall any payments to Cohen after December 2017
Jeffrey McConney says that he does not recall any additional payments made to Cohen after December 2017.



12 min ago
McConney's voice appears to grow tired as he goes through more of Cohen's monthly invoices
Jeffrey McConney's voice appears to grow more tired as he repeats himself for each month.

"35,000 dollars," he said with a bit of a sigh, when discussing the August payment to Michael Cohen.



15 min ago
Cohen's July invoice didn't include a number, but it was understood to be for $35,000, McConney says
The July invoice from Michael Cohen did not include an amount — but it was known to be $35,000, Jeffery McConney says.

"Pursuant to the retainer agreement, kindly remit payment for services rendered for the month of July 2017," the email from Cohen to Allen Weisselberg reads.

Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asks McConney if there was an understanding of the amount that needed to be paid, even if it wasn't explicit in the email. McConney says yes.

"What was that understanding?" Colangelo asks.

"$35,000," McConney says.

"What was that understanding based on?" Colangelo asks.

It was "based on the prior notes," he took in Weisselberg's office, McConney says.

16 min ago
Jurors are looking at their screens as prosecutors walk through records
Jurors are mostly looking at their screens as prosecutors walk through all of these records.

A couple of jurors are watching prosecutor Matthew Colangelo and Jeffrey McConney talk through the document. One juror is looking out into the gallery.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-06-24/h_c9c82f02dc1d8aa26cb0173527d84dc6

 

Jeff McConney has only gone through 9 exhibits and it's being reported that there are 90.

 

This trial is over. Bragg should be arrested for impersonating a lawyer.

 

15m ago / 11:22 AM EDT
McConney says a check had to be reissued after getting lost between the White House and the Trump Org.

McConney said that one of the checks had gotten lost while being sent between the Trump Organization in New York and the White House for Trump's signature.

By this point, checks had to be sent from the company to the White House for Trump to sign each of them before they were issued, McConney testified.

McConney said that the organization had to place a "stop" on the April 2017 check because it couldn't be found. It was then reissued, he said.

 

Wow! What a lunatic!

 

Trump looks like a fraud and a fool in this trial. You're apparently not following the news.

 

1 min ago
Jury now being shown business records related to Cohen payments that are tied to some charges against Trump


The jury is now seeing the voucher records detailing the payments cut to Michael Cohen by Trump Org. accounts payable department.

The vouchers are business records tied to several of the 34 falsifying business records charges against Trump.



3 min ago
Prosecutors are walking through a spreadsheet of payments to Cohen
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is walking Jeffery McConney through a report with a spreadsheet of the payments to Michael Cohen.

It shows Trump's trust and then his personal account paid Cohen in 2017.

The first three payments were paid from the revocable trust for $105,000. The final nine payments were paid by Trump's personal account and totaled $315,000, according to the report.

 

1 min ago
Prosecutor asks about Trump Org. tax forms


Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is now asking Jeffrey McConney about 1099 tax forms generated by the Trump Organization. Part of his job responsibilities included the preparation of the 1099s.

Trump is focused on the screen in front of him, he was looking directly at the monitor eyes scrunched to see it.



1 min ago
Jury shown general ledger of trust account
The jury is now seeing the general ledger of the trust account from 2017.

It shows the three payments made to Michel Cohen under "legal expenses." They total $105,000 for January, February and March 2017.

McConney is also looking at the general ledger of Trump's personal account in 2017. It shows the nine payments made to Cohen from April to December 2017. They're described as "legal expenses" and total $315,000, McConney confirms.

Each of the general ledger line items listed as a retainer agreement payment to Cohen are tied to individual counts of falsifying business records in the indictment against Donald Trump.

 

3 min ago
Financial disclosure document accepted into evidence


There's been another objection over the financial disclosure document.

Prosecutors moved to enter in the OGE 278-e form for 2017, and Trump attorney Emil Bove objected.

After meeting at the bench, the document was accepted into evidence.



1 min ago
McConney recalls going through Trump's financial documents
The first time they went through the financial documents, Jeffrey McConney says they went through it A-to-Z.

"At one point, it was 4 o'clock in the morning filling in these documents," he says.

After that, they split it up. He testified that he handled Melania's assets, Trump's stock holdings, bank and brokerage accounts and liabilities.



8 min ago
Trump had to file financial disclosure reports as presidential candidate, McConney testifies
Jeffrey McConney said he helped prepare Donald Trump's annual financial statements to the Office of Government Ethics.

Trump had to file the financial disclosure reports from the time he was a candidate for president, McConney says.

McConney said he worked on this form before Trump became president.

 

2 min ago
McConney says he doesn't know if Cohen was doing legal work for Trump around 2017


Trump attorney Emil Bove pointed to the invoice email where Michael Cohen asked Allen Weisselberg to call him to discuss an open foundation matter.

Bove asked whether that suggested that there was an "open matter Michael Cohen was handling?"

"Yes," McConney said.

McConney said "I do not know" when Bove asked him if Cohen was doing legal work for Trump as a personal attorney around 2017.

When Bove asked him if he knew Cohen did work for Trump related to Summer Zervos, McConney said "no idea."





3 min ago
Cohen sent invoices using a personal email account, not a Trump Org. account, McConney testifies
Trump attorney Emil Bove is showing the emails from Michael Cohen in 2017 and points out Cohen's signature block, which states he's the "Personal attorney to President Donald J Trump."

"It doesn’t say fixer, does it?" Bove asks Jeffrey McConney.

"No," McConney confirms.

McConney also confirms Cohen sent the invoices using a personal Gmail account not a Trump Organization email address, meaning he was essentially acting as a vendor to the Trump Organization.



5 min ago
McConney says he has never talked to Cohen about any of these issues
Attorney Emil Bove explained that Jeffrey McConney testified to a series of emails involving Michael Cohen and asked whether he ever spoke to Cohen about any of these issues.

"No, talk to Michael, no," McConney said.



3 min ago
McConney testifies he didn't speak to Trump often
Jeffrey McConney is testifying that he didn't speak to Trump very often.

"When you did speak to him, you didn’t talk about accounting software?" Trump attorney Emil Bove asks.

"No," McConney says.

11 min ago
Bove has started cross-examination of witness
Trump attorney Emil Bove has begun cross-examination of witness Jeffrey McConney.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-06-24/h_64f60e1b316ec7d64b2d530e5beb082a

 

1 min ago
McConney says way of doing business changed "drastically" after Trump became president


Jeffrey McConney says the way of doing business at the Trump Organization had to change "drastically" once Trump became president.

He that after Trump became president, "I don’t remember seeing him in New York at all."

Judge Juan Merchan sustained an objection from prosecutors to this point.


https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-06-24/h_64f60e1b316ec7d64b2d530e5beb082a

 

1 min ago
Weisselberg didn't say what Cohen was seeking a reimbursement for in 2017, McConney confirms


Jeffrey McConney confirmed that Allen Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump Organization, did not say anything about what Michael Cohen was seeking reimbursement for in 2017.



2 min ago
Trump Org. accounting system was designed in the '90s and was "antiquated" by 2017, McConney confirms
The accounting system used by the Trump Organization was "antiquated" by 2017, Trump attorney Emil Bove says in his line of questioning, noting that it had been designed in the 1990s.

Jeffrey McConney says he agrees, chuckling on the stand as he confirms it was "antiquated."

McConney also confirms that the dropdown categories used in the system were rigid and that anytime payments were made to an attorney, the legal expenses category was used.

3 min ago
Trump had "at least" $60 million in unrestricted cash in 2017, McConney says
Jeffrey McConney testified that at times Donald Trump's cash position was in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Trump attorney Emil Bove asked if in 2017 it was "$60 million in unrestricted cash?"

McConney replied, "at least."

 

6 min ago
Lawyer passes notes to Trump as cross-examination continues


Defense attorney Todd Blanche just passed a note to Trump as the cross-examination of Jeffrey McConney continues.

Trump read it and then put the note on the table. Blanche then passed him another note, Trump put that one in his jacket.

6 min ago
McConney confirms Weisselberg didn't say what Cohen was seeking a reimbursement for in 2017
Jeffrey McConney confirmed that Allen Weisselberg, the former CFO of the Trump Organization, did not say anything about what Michael Cohen was seeking reimbursement for in 2017.

McConney said grossing up the payment to $180,000 didn't make sense because "an expense reimbursement is not taxable."

"You don’t know, do you, how if at all Mr. Cohen treated these payments on his taxes?" Bove asked.

No, McConney said.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-06-24/h_64f60e1b316ec7d64b2d530e5beb082a

 

'Most damning evidence' yet unveiled by Trump's prosecutors'

'Prosecutors in New York on Monday showed a series of documents that Daily Beast reporter Jose Pagliery described as "the most damning" yet seen in former President Donald Trump's Manhattan hush-money trial.

As described by MSNBC's Katie Phang, one showed Trump Organization officials making calculations on a piece of paper with the Trump Organization letterhead about how to pay back Cohen. In total, the Trump Organization paid Cohen back a total of $420,000 over the span of a year in $35,000 monthly increments.

It was these payments that prosecutors alleged were falsely logged as legal expenses when in reality they were an illegal campaign contribution made by Cohen to ensure that damaging information about Trump did not come out ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

"We're seeing the white corporate notepad that says TRUMP at the top," marveled Pagliery in a post on Twitter. "It shows the coverup math. This is the most damning evidence we've seen so far."

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-trial-testimony-2668175394/

 

10 min ago
McConney says Weisselberg kept him in the dark


Asked if former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg ever kept him in the dark, Jeffrey McConney answers, "Yes"

"You were told to do something and you did it," prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asks. "Yes," McConney replies.

Colangelo follows up and asks whether McConney was privy to any conversations between Trump and Weisselberg about these payments. He says he was not.

Colangelo asks if somethings went "over your head," and McConney said yes. He agreed he was asked to do things he sometimes didn't know about.



20 min ago
Cross-examination is over
Attorney Emil Bove is done with his cross-examination. Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo is now starting redirect with "just a few questions."

 

I'm obviously following it closer than you. Tell us what Trump is guilty of.

 

Sure. Right after the jury comes in.

 

Obviously. And your deep knowledge of the legal process shines through as well.

 

This morning:


Andrew Weissmann (weissmann11 on Threads)

@AWeissmann_
Follow

File under truly lame excuse: Trump counsel says they are not prepared for Jeff McConney- he is the Trump Org longtime controller and testified at the Trump Org trial- and discovery was provided about him long ago. Judge Merchan denies request to adjourn taking his testimony.


10:38 AM · May 6, 2024
·
265.3K
Views

 

1 min ago
Tarasoff tells court she had no decision-making authority and followed instructions


Deborah Tarasoff told the court that she did not work directly with Donald Trump, but saw him often.

She testified that she had no decision-making authority. She agreed that she followed instructions.



2 min ago
Weisselberg "had his hands in everything," Tarasoff testifies
Asked about former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg's management style Deborah Tarasoff says, "He had his hands in everything”

Prosecutor Chris Conroy asks whether Weisselberg interacted often with Trump.

"To my knowledge, yes," Tarasoff says.

Conroy is also walking Tarasoff through various Trump Organization employees and her relationship with them, including Jeffrey McConney, Michael Cohen and Alan Garten.

4 min ago
Trump smiles as Tarasoff testifies that he owns Trump Organization
Prosecutor Chris Conroy asks Deborah Tarasoff who owns the Trump Organization.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, Mr. Trump," Tarasoff says.

Trump smiled at the answer.

Tarasoff said the accounting department is on the 26th floor with Trump's office and the legal department.

9 min ago
Tarasoff says she's worked for the Trump Organization for 24 years
Prosecutor Chris Conroy is questioning witness Deborah Tarasoff about her work at the Trump Organization.

She said she has worked there for 24 years



11 min ago
Tarasoff looks at Trump as she walks in
Deborah Tarasoff turned to look at Trump at the defense table as she walked in.

He was leaning the opposite direction talking to his attorney Emil Bove. Todd Blanche is first chair at the defense table.

He's looking over at her now, craning his neck to see her.



15 min ago
Who is witness Deborah Tarasoff?
From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury and Lauren del Valle

Deborah Tarasoff, who worked in the Trump Organization accounting department, is taking the stand.

Tarasoff allegedly helped arrange for Michael Cohen to be reimbursed for Stormy Daniels' hush money payment.

She is a Trump Org. accounts payable employee and, like Jeffrey McConney, she testified in this witness box before Judge Juan Merchan at the Trump Org. tax fraud trial in 2022 about the inner workings of the company's accounting department.


Recommended for you
Recommended by



15 min ago
Defense attorneys object to exhibits related to the next witness
Trump lawyers are objecting to canceled checks coming in as exhibits with the next witness.

"While they were generated by Capitol One, they were produced by the Trump Organization from their records," prosecutor Chris Conroy explains of the checks.

The judge overrules the objection.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-06-24/h_8928af575e2a31599aee4988e63226bf

 

Less than 1 min ago
Tarasoff says Trump or his sons needed to approve invoices of more than $10,000


Deborah Tarasoff says that after 2015, any invoice for more than $10,000 had to be approved by Trump or one of his sons.


https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-06-24/h_8928af575e2a31599aee4988e63226bf

 

2 min ago
Only Trump could sign checks from DJT account, Tarasoff says


Asked who could sign checks for the "DJT account" in 2016 and 2017, Deborah Tarasoff says "only Mr. Trump."

She adds that it is still true today.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-n...l-05-06-24/h_8928af575e2a31599aee4988e63226bf