Last Update May 06, 2024 03:45pm ET

Former President Trump returns to his Manhattan courtroom Monday as prosecutors continue to call witnesses, ultimately building toward testimony from former lawyer Michael Cohen. Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg claims Trump reimbursed Cohen for hush money payments to pornography actress Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.

Covered by: Anders Hagstrom, Michael Lee, Brooke Singman and Emma Colton

Fast Facts:

•  Deborah Tarasoff, a current Trump Organization employee, was called to the stand Monday afternoon in the New York v. Trump trial 
•  Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney testified Monday morning 
•  Prosecutors with Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg’s office are building toward testimony from star witnesses Stormy Daniels and Michael Cohen 
•  Daniels could testify as soon as this week, offering details on the alleged hush payments she negotiated with Cohen ahead of the 2016 election 

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1 hour(s) ago

PINNED

Former Trump attorney praises Judge Merchan: ‘He’s a pro’

Former Trump payroll corporation attorney William J. Brennan spoke to Fox News about the gag order in his former boss’ New York trial while also arguing that there was still no “smoking gun” in the case.

“I haven’t heard anything yet that jumps off the page, there’s no smoking gun,” Brennan said while discussing the testimony earlier in the day.

The former Trump attorney went on to argue that the prosecution has so far “cobbled” the case together with “duct tape and zip ties,” while also noting that the former president also enjoys the presumption of innocence.

But Brennan also praised Judge Merchan, saying that the judge presiding over the case is in a “tough spot” but argued that he is “a pro” at what he does.

“He’s the real deal,” Brennan said, while also noting that he believed the judge would following through on a jail sentence if Trump were to continue violating his gag order in the case.

Posted by Michael Lee Share

15 min(s) ago

Kerri Urbahn: Jailing Trump would be ‘political suicide’

Fox News legal editor Kerri Urbahn talked about the impact of Hope Hicks’ testimony and the president being threatened with jail time for gag order violations.

“He could, but just because you an do something doesn’t mean you should or that he will,” Urbahn said when discussing whether Judge Merchan would follow through on threats to jail former President Donald Trump for continued breaking of a gag order in the case. “Not that a judge is supposed to be thinking about politics, but this judge obviously thinks about politics given his past donations to Joe Biden and stop Republicans groups, so we know that he is attuned to the political scene. It would be political suicide though.”

Merchan made the threat after Trump has repeatedly spoken out publicly about the case in violation of the gag order, with the judge arguing that financial fines have not been enough to deter the former president.

Posted by Michael Lee Share

42 min(s) ago

NY v. Trump: DA’s witness testifies Trump did not direct him on Cohen repayments

Former President Donald Trump did not personally direct a Trump Organization executive to set up reimbursement payments to former Trump attorney Michael Cohen, according to witness testimony Monday in the NY v. Trump case.

“Michael Cohen was a lawyer?” defense attorney Emil Bove asked former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney Monday at the start of the fourth week of the trial.

“Sure, yes,” McConney responded.

“And payments to lawyers by the Trump Organization are legal expenses, right?” asked Bove.

“Yes,” said McConney.

“President Trump did not ask you to do any of the things you just described … correct?” Bove asked.

“He did not,” McConney replied.

Trump is in Manhattan for the fourth week of trial, where he is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records. The NY v. Trump case focuses on Trump’s former attorney Cohen paying former pornographic actor Stormy Daniels $130,000 to allegedly quiet her claims of an alleged extramarital affair she had with the then-real estate tycoon in 2006. Trump has denied having an affair with Daniels.

Posted by Emma Colton Share

1 hour(s) ago

Trump gives thumbs up to cameras as trial set to resume with testimony of Deborah Tarasoff

Former President Donald Trump waved and gave a thumbs up to reporters and cameras as he reentered the courtroom Monday for the afternoon session of the trial.

Judge Juan Merchan is back on the bench to resume the session, while the defense has objections to exhibits that are supposed to be presented during the next witness’ testimony.

Trump’s legal team and the judge are discussing those objections before bringing in the jury and calling the next witness to the stand.

The next witness will be Deborah Tarasoff, a Trump Organization accounts payable supervisor.The former accounts payable supervisor allegedly helped arrange the hush money payments to former Trump-attorney Michael Cohen, with Tarasoff labeling the payments to the attorney as “legal expenses” or “retainer” at the time they were made.

However, the defense is expected to argue that she or he subordinate labeled with payments that way without the knowledge of Trump.

Posted by Michael Lee Share

2 hour(s) ago

Have any of Trump’s family members attended his trial?

Photo by SETH WENIG/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Former President Trump is facing an unprecedented trial in Manhattan where he faces 34 felony counts for falsifying New York business records. 

Amid court proceedings, which entered their fourth week Monday, Trump has repeatedly complained that the trial has not only taken him off the campaign trail, but also away from his family. 

One of Trump’s family members, his son, Eric Trump, has attended the trial. Eric Trump attended on April 30, where father and son were seen speaking in the court before proceedings kicked off that day. 

Trump’s youngest son, Barron Trump, became a focal point of the trial when it first began, with Trump urging the court to let him leave Manhattanon May 17 to attend his son’s high school graduation in Florida. Presiding Judge Juan Merchan finally agreed to Trump attending the ceremony, despite initially resisting the request, citing the importance of being present each day for court. 

The former president has also posted repeatedly on social media or spoken to the media about his family amid the trial, including lamenting that he couldn’t be with his wife, Melania Trump, on April 26 to celebrate her birthday. 

“I want to start by wishing my wife, Melania, a very happy birthday,” Trump said last month outside the courtroom. 

“It would be nice to be with her,” he added. 

Trump has also posted a photo of him with three of his grandchildren during the trial. 

The former president has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the case, while slamming the trial as a “scam” promoted by the Biden administration ahead of the 2024 election.

Posted by Emma Colton Share

2 hour(s) ago

McConney ends testimony, court breaks for lunch

Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney left the stand after roughly three hours of testimony, after which the court went on a break for lunch.

During  his testimony, McConney detailed former President Trump’s cash position at the time in question, noting that it was often in the hundreds of millions of dollars and was “at least” $60 million throughout 2017.

McConney also detailed that the 1099 forms filed for the Michael Cohen payments were provided to the IRS, though he confirmed it would have been up to Cohen to determine how to treat those payments for his own personal taxes.

Trump exited the courtroom shortly after the former controller’s testimony. The former president did not speak with reporters, only giving a thumbs up to cameras on his way out of the room. He also did not speak during the morning’s proceedings.

Proceedings are scheduled to resume at 2:15 p.m. ET.

Posted by Michael Lee Share

3 hour(s) ago

McConney testifies that he was not personally asked to carry out payments by Trump

Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney testified that former President Donald Trump did not personally task him with carrying out alleged hush money payments in 2017.

Asked by Trump attorney Emil Bove if Trump had asked McConney to carry out any of the tasks he earlier detailed to the prosecution, the former controller testified that Trump “did not.”

McConney also testified that he did not speak to Trump frequently, and that any talks he did have with the former president would not have been about accounting software.

Posted by Michael Lee Share

3 hour(s) ago

Prosecution has failed to deliver on promised evidence, former acting attorney general says

Former acting attorney general Matt Whitaker reacts to the latest from New York v. Trump, arguing that the prosecution is “not delivering” on what they promised.

“Every witness has gone to undermine the core of their case,” Whitaker said.

Posted by Michael Lee Share

3 hour(s) ago

Trump legal team begins cross-examination of McConney

Former President Donald Trump’s attorney Emil Bove has begun to cross-examiner former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney.

McConney testified Monday about the accounting for payments made to former Trump-attorney Michael Cohen, which totaled $420,000 throughout 2017, the controller confirmed.

McConney also confirmed Trump’s signature on a financial disclosure former from 2018 that was entered into evidence.

Posted by Michael Lee Share

3 hour(s) ago

Jeffrey McConney details Cohen reimbursement accounting

Former Trump Organization controller Jeffrey McConney testified Monday how Michael Cohen received alleged hush money payments throughout 2017.

McConney testified that he was directed by former Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg to reimburse Cohen with $35,000 per month payments, with the last being sent to Cohen in December of 2017.

McConney confirmed that they switch from using a trust account to former President Trump’s personal account in March, with an email from McConney to Cohen being entered into evidence that showed the controller replying to Cohen and confirming that checks would have to be sent to the White House to be signed by Trump.

A total of $420,000 was sent to Cohen, a number that was “grossed up,” which McConney confirmed was for tax purposes.

Posted by Michael Lee Share

BREAKING NEWS4 hour(s) ago

Ex-top Biden DOJ official now prosecuting Trump was once paid by DNC for ‘political consulting’

EXCLUSIVE: The Democratic National Committee paid Trump prosecutor Matthew Colangelo thousands of dollars for “political consulting” in 2018, Fox News Digital has learned. 

Colangelo delivered opening statements in the unprecedented criminal trial of former President Trump and serves as a top prosecutor with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s Office on the case. 

Colangelo joined Bragg’s office in December 2022 after the resignations of Mark Pomerantz and Carey Dunne — prosecutors who were investigating Trump and resigned in protest of Bragg’s initial unwillingness to indict the former president. Colangelo left a senior role at the Biden Justice Department to join Bragg’s team. Bragg afterward brought charges against the former president in April 2023, raising questions among some in the GOP about alleged politicization of the case. 

Posted by Brooke Singman Share

5 hour(s) ago

Hope Hicks’ testimony was ‘critical’ for Trump’s criminal trial: Katie Cherkasky

Posted by Michael Lee Share

5 hour(s) ago

Judge says jailing Trump will be considered as fines are not working

Posted by Michael Lee Share

6 hour(s) ago

Who is prosecution witness Jeff McConney?

Prosecutors with in the New York v. Trump case called Jeff McConney to the witness stand on Monday.

McConney, the 10th witness in the case, served as senior vice president controller at the Trump organization until his retirement last year. He handled tax returns for the company and is testifying under a subpoena by the prosecution.

He testified on Monday that former President Trump effectively served as his boss for the nearly 50 years he handled the Trump organization’s tax returns.

McConney graduated Baruch College in 1978, during which he worked part time for a real estate firm. After graduating he worked for an accounting firm, and then was hired by the Trump Organization in 1987. He is now “happily” retired.

Posted by Anders Hagstrom Share

6 hour(s) ago

Judge warns Trump he may face jail time, says regular fines aren’t working

Judge Juan Merchan says the $1,000 fines imposed on former President Trump “are not working” to prohibit him from violating the gag order against him, and he may resort to imposing jail time.

Merchan made the announcement at the start of proceedings in the New York v. Trump trial on Monday. Merchan found Trump in contempt of court for violating the gag order for a 10th time.

“The last thing I want to consider is jail,” Merchan said. “You are former president and possibly the next president. The magnitude if that decision is not lost on me.”

“Your continued willful violation of the court’s order…constitutes a direct attack on the court and will not be allowed to continue,” Merchan added.

Merchan also ordered that that all Trump’s postsviolating the gag order must be removed by 2:15 pm on Monday.

“Defendant is hereby put on notice that if appropriate and warranted, future violations of its lawful orders will be punishable by incarceration,” Merchan’s Monday order reads.

Merchan’s gag order prohibits Trump from speaking publicly about witnesses in the case, such as former lawyer Michael Cohen and pornography actress Stormy Daniels.