A top Trump Organization official has testified before a special grand jury, ABC News reports
- A senior Trump Org official has testified before a special grand jury convened by the Manhattan DA's office, according to a report.
- Jeff McConney, controller of the Trump Org, is among several witnesses that have testified, ABC News reported.
- The body will determine whether criminal charges are warranted against Donald Trump or his company.
The Manhattan District Attorney's office brought one of the Trump Organization's most senior officials to testify before a special grand jury that will decide whether criminal charges are warranted against former President Donald Trump, his company, or its employees, ABC News reported.
Jeff McConney, who serves as controller and senior vice president for the Trump Organization, is among several witnesses who have already testified, but he is the first company employee called to go before the special grand jury, according to the outlet.
Last month, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. convened a grand jury amid his office's investigation into the former president's company. The grand jury will meet for six months, rather than the standard one month, and will decide whether to bring an indictment from the two-year investigation.
The Manhattan District Attorney's Office is conducting a wide-ranging inquiry into the Trump Organization's and Trump's finances. Along with the New York State Attorney General's office, it is examining whether Trump or the Trump Organization broke state tax laws by distorting property valuations in order to receive favorable loan and insurance rates while paying little in taxes.
Daniel R. Alonso, a former top deputy for Vance and now an attorney at Buckley LLP, told NBC News that McConney is likely one of the key figures in the investigation. Along with CFO Allen Weisselberg, whose cooperation prosecutors are also seeking, McConney would have a thorough understanding of the Trump Organization's finances through his role as controller.
Trump has decried Vance's investigation, decrying it as politically motivated. Under New York state law, indictments for felonies - crimes that carry a sentence of a year or more in prison - must be brought by a grand jury rather than directly from prosecutors.