Jeff McConney, a senior VP and controller for the Trump Organization, was called in to testify before the grand jury assembled by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance hearing evidence about potential criminal activity by Donald Trump, his family and his business entities, ABC News reports.
McConney is the first employee of the Trump Organization called to testify before the grand jury, sources told ABC News. His appearance before the grand jury demonstrates that prosecutors have thorough and deep information about the finances of the company, and that they’re using his testimony to support some of the findings of investigators as well as add insight into the motivations of the people controlling the company.
“Complex accounting issues are crucial to this investigation, as is the knowledge and intent of the people at the Trump Organization involved in these transactions,” said Daniel R. Alonso, the former chief assistant district attorney in Manhattan and now a partner in private practice at Buckley LLP.
The Manhattan DA is believed to be looking into shady practices of Trump and the Trump Organization, including illegally compensating employees by awarding them residences as well as manipulating the stated values of properties to avoid taxes or boost claimed net worth.