Donald Trump Has Worst Day Yet in NY Trial as Note Reveals He Conducted “Final Review” of Fraudulent Document

Cynthia PaulNov 28, 2023

Minute Read

In his ongoing civil fraud trial in New York, Donald Trump had his worst day to yet on Tuesday—and it was all because of one of his own important witnesses, a former executive of the Trump Organization who directly connected the former president to the murky arithmetic at the heart of the case.

Trump Linked Firmly to Conspiracy and Fraud Counts

Jeffrey McConney, the former spreadsheet guru and comptroller for Trump Organization, was the witness. During the non-jury trial, McConney was asked to testify by the defense. However, during the state attorney general’s office’s cross-examination on Tuesday, he established a strong connection between Trump and the conspiracy and fraud charges that are now pending resolution.

DJT to Get Final Review

People’s Exhibit 3054, a draft of Trump’s 2014 net worth declaration, was sent to McConney. He was called to look at his own handwritten notation, “DJT TO GET FINAL REVIEW,” scribbled on the first page of the document in faint blue ink.

Trump Denies Involvement

Trump has denied any role in the preparation of ten years’ worth of these yearly net-worth declarations, which the trial court has concurred were annually rife with billions of dollars’ worth of exaggerations, according to New York Attorney General Letitia James’ allegations.

Net-Worth Statement Contained $3.5 Billion in Exaggerations

The AG has claimed that the specific 2014 net-worth declaration that McConney was given the draft of contained $3.5 billion in exaggerations.

McConney Comes Clear

Andrew Amer, the state’s attorney, questioned McConney, saying, “Donald Trump would get final review?” From the witness stand, McConney said, “That was my understanding, yes,” in a rough voice.

McConney Confesses to Handwriting

Next, Amer questioned if Trump would receive the last word on each net-worth declaration before departing for the White House in 2017, at which point Eric Trump would sign off on the drafts. “That was my understanding, yes,” McConney said once again. When asked if the tiny blue pen traces on the drafts were his handwriting, McConney likewise responded in the affirmative.

Why Was McConney’s Testimony Important?

Not only did McConney’s testimony harm Trump, but it also caused harm to his two eldest sons, former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg, and even to McConney himself.

James Seeks $250 Million in Penalties

The AG’s complaint names the three Trump family members as defendants along with the two former executives. The lawsuit claims that Trump inflated his net worth in order to obtain interest-rate concessions and profits from property sales totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. James is requesting that the five defendants never be allowed to operate a business in New York again, along with a minimum of $250 million in fines.

Spreadsheet Czar Testifies to Yearly Review

First, regarding McConney’s personal injuries, his blue-ink annotations are in direct opposition to his earlier evidence. During direct questioning on Monday, the spreadsheet czar had stated that he would go over the draft net-worth statement for each year with the then-CFO Weisselberg. After the draft was accepted, Weisselberg would pass it to the outside accounting company Mazars USA, which would print the final statement.

McConney’s Uncomfortable Admittance

Editorial credit: Evan El-Amin/Shutterstock.

Amer, the state’s attorney, brought up a crucial missing link in the line of command — McConney to Weisselberg to Mazars — on Tuesday. “I believe there was a step in between, that involved Donald Trump, prior to 2017?” Amer questioned McConney, who seemed uneasy while acknowledging that Trump had indeed signed off.

Trump Insists on Little to No Involvement

On November 6, Trump, who has not been present at the trial for the last two weeks, stated during his testimony that he was not heavily involved in the creation of these net-worth declarations. Additionally, he denied knowing who wrote “DJT to get final review” on that 2014 draft in a pre-trial deposition.

Trump’s ”Final Review”

However, as McConney himself describes the drafting process, his blue-ink handwriting is all over the versions of the net-worth declaration, demonstrating that he included warning remarks and even amended the content before sending it along for Trump’s “final review.”

Unsigned Deals Included

McConney scribbled a critical warning in the 2015 draft, stating, “This computation also includes forecasted deals that have not signed yet.” In the memo, McConney proposed that Trump exclude the inclusion of fictitious assets valued at around $151 million from his net worth declaration, claiming that these agreements “have not signed yet.”

Routine Baloney Excess

The revised net-worth declaration from that year indicates that McConney’s recommendation was disregarded, potentially even by Trump. According to the AG, Trump frequently included the same kinds of fictitious assets to bolster his net-worth declarations.

Blame Mazars, Blame the Accountants

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The numerous notes that McConney has provided demonstrate that the final changes and approval of these net-worth claims came from Trump and his senior staff. Therefore, the notes seriously undermine the main Trump argument, which is to place the responsibility on Mazars and the accountants.

Intentional Conspiracy to Cook the Numbers

Additionally, it looks like the attorney general’s office is prepared to contend that these handwritten notes demonstrate McConney, Weisselberg, and Trump colluded to purposefully manipulate the figures every year. To win all six of the case’s unresolved counts, the attorney general needs to demonstrate two elements: intent and conspiracy.

Trump’s 2014 – 2021 Statements Fraudulently Inflated His Wealth

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Judge Arthur Engoron of the New York Supreme Court has already determined, pre-trial, that Trump falsified his wealth declarations from 2014 to 2021. The trial will establish whether the five defendants violated any further six state statutes pertaining to insurance fraud, submitting false financial statements, fabricating company documents, and conspiring to perpetrate each of these offenses. Proof of the deliberate commission of the fraud and lies is required for each of the six charges.

Is Trump ”Liable”?

The court will not render a “guilty” decision because the case is civil in nature rather than criminal. Rather, his decision will determine whether the five accused are “liable” for fines and other consequences for breaking these six statutes. In what other way do McConney’s handwritten notes hurt the defense case?