Trump Org Tears Ex Controller Emotional: After enduring four days of testimony and facing intense cross-examination, Jeff McConney, former Trump Organization controller, emotionally revealed on Tuesday the toll that numerous investigations and accusations of misconduct took on him. McConney, a co-defendant in a civil fraud trial, tearfully disclosed that the relentless pressure led him to leave the company he had devoted 35 years to.
“I just couldn’t do it anymore,” McConney expressed. “I just wanted to relax and stop being accused of misrepresenting assets for the company that I loved working for.”
The emotional moment unfolded when questioned by Jesus Suarez, an attorney for former President Donald Trump, about why he departed from the Trump Organization. McConney, visibly distressed, paused, removed his glasses, and raised his arms in the air before responding. His emotional reaction prompted a court officer to bring him a box of tissues, supported by a thumbs-up from Judge Arthur Engoron.
In his testimony, McConney conveyed the toll of being subjected to multiple subpoenas and testifying in connection to various government cases accusing him of wrongdoing. Despite his dedication to the company, he acknowledged the strain on his mental well-being.
“I feel proud of what I did. I think everything was justified. Numbers don’t represent fully what these assets are worth,” McConney stated. “I got to do a lot of things normally an accountant wouldn’t be able to do. I’m very proud of the work I did for 35 years.”
However, after enduring years of investigations alleging him of inflating asset valuations on Trump’s financial statements, he admitted, “I gave up.”
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Under cross-examination, McConney acknowledged receiving all but $125,000 of a $500,000 severance package from the Trump Organization. Assistant New York Attorney General Andrew Amer challenged McConney’s claim that the outside accounting firm Mazars wrote most of the notes and disclaimers on Trump’s personal financial statements. McConney had earlier shifted blame to Mazars and Donald Bender, alleging their role in reviewing and advising on inflated asset values.
Amer presented McConney with his own handwritten edits on statement drafts, challenging his earlier attribution to Mazars. The former controller admitted to memory inaccuracies and conceded that he primarily wrote the disclosure about asset valuations that deviated from generally accepted accounting principles.
Amer also suggested McConney’s involvement in financial statements as recent as 2021, contrary to his previous testimony of passing off the duty to another executive in 2016. Handwritten notations from McConney on 2021 financial statement drafts were presented, indicating his continued input.
The trial is set to resume after the Thanksgiving break, with Trump Hotels CFO Mark Hawthorn expected to testify. Deutsche Bank lenders involved with Trump Organization loans are scheduled to testify under subpoena next Tuesday.