Under re-direct, McConney says he was following orders
Before ending his cross-examination, defense attorney Emil Bove attempted to pour cold water on a small narrative element prosecutors advanced about the location of handwritten notes containing arithmetic related to the reimbursing of Michael Cohen.
Then-CFO Allen Weisselberg, who jotted down the notes, ordered McConney to put the notes in a locked cabinet, McConney said earlier, suggesting that the document was intended to remain secret.
But Bove argued that "the reason that cabinet was locked was because the payroll book" was inside of it, containing sensitive information about employee salaries, bonuses and social security numbers.
"It's not that these notes were particularly sensitive," Bove said. "You locked the drawer to keep that sort of sensitive information secure?"
Furthermore, Bove asked, "Isn't it a fact that most of the drawers in your office were locked?"
McConney confirmed this, and said he had "a lot of sensitive information" in his office.
During a brief re-direct examination, prosecutors attempted to distance McConney from the agreement to reimburse Cohen for the Stormy Daniels payment and suggest that McConney was just following orders.
"Did you participate in any conversations with Mr. Trump, Mr. Cohen and Mr. Weisselberg?" prosecutor Matthew Colangelo asked.
"No sir," McConney said.
"This was all happening above your head?" Colangelo asked.
"Yes," McConney said.
"You were told something and you did it?" the prosecutor asked.
"Yes," McConney responded.
Court subsequently recessed for the lunch break.
