Former Trump Organization comptroller Jeff McConney testified earlier this week in the civil case against Donald Trump brought about by New York Attorney General Letitia James. McConney stated that frustration over accusations of misrepresenting the company’s assets led him to quit. This testimony has raised eyebrows and brought attention to a note reportedly written by McConney that was found in a document which inflated Trump’s assets by $3.5 billion and contained “expansive evidence of fraud.”
Mary Trump, Donald Trump’s niece, weighed in on the implication of this note, referring to it as a “potentially damning document.” Attorney Joe Gallina, appearing as a guest on the “Deep Dives” series of interviews, stated that he couldn’t think of a bigger smoking gun. He emphasized that the document is filled with fraudulent information and includes a note at the top that says Donald Trump has to approve it. Gallina referred to the Trump Organization as a “mom-and-pop operation,” suggesting that nothing gets signed off on without Trump’s knowledge or approval.
Mary Trump sees this note as a significant piece of evidence not only for her uncle but also for his adult children, McConney, and ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg. McConney’s testimony indicated that the hierarchy for approval of Donald Trump’s net worth statement was himself, followed by Weisselberg and the financial audit firm Mazars USA. Although McConney did not explicitly testify that Trump got the final review, his note clearly states that “Donald got final review.”
Mary Trump, who is also a psychologist, believes that the state will argue that this note puts Donald Trump directly in the chain of approval for the document. She also noted that the document was not provided by Trump’s lawyers but was handed over by Mazars, which she deems as potentially deal-breaking. Gallina pointed out that in New York state, improper maintenance of business records would be considered “spoilation” of evidence, leading to potential sanctions and negative inferences against the Trump Organization.
Gallina sees this notation as significant because it not only ties Donald Trump directly to a fraudulent document but also puts his lawyers at risk for not providing it during discovery. He believes that days like this are a victory for James and the prosecution as they continue to shed light on Trump’s enterprise and uncover more instances of fraud. Gallina thinks it will be difficult for Trump to wiggle out of this case, especially with the withholding of documents strengthening the prosecution’s case. Ultimately, the damages could be severe.
The case is currently being presided over by Judge Arthur Engoron, who is expected to rule on it in the next three weeks. This testimony and the discovery of the note have added another layer of complexity to the case against Donald Trump, further highlighting the allegations of fraud and misrepresentation within the Trump Organization.
