NEW YORK — A longtime Trump Organization senior executive painted himself Thursday as a lowly accountant who followed the boss’ orders and kept his head down, unaware he was engaging in rampant tax fraud.
Jeff McConney’s testimony at the Manhattan Supreme Court trial of former President Donald Trump’s family real estate business came more than a week after he tested positive for COVID-19. Judge Juan Merchan put the proceedings on ice after he got the virus, too.
Back on the stand, McConney acknowledged illegal practices at the Trump Organization, like the company’s habit of paying longtime employees as independent contractors when they got their hefty Christmas bonuses — saving the staffers’ tax deductions and the company on Medicare taxes.