• Jeff McConney, senior vice president and controller of the Trump Organisation, is first employee called to testify before grand jury, according to reports
  • Manhattan prosecutors are believed to be diving into company finances
  • Their focus has been on Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s chief financial officer
  • A grand jury has been convened to examine whether criminal charges should be brought against former president 
  • Trump has dismissed the investigation as a ‘witch hunt’ 

One of the most senior officials in the Trump Organization has been subpoenaed to appear before a special grand jury deciding whether former President Donald Trump should face charges, according to reports.

Jeff McConney is senior vice president and controller of the Trump family business, where he is a 35-year veteran.

The development indicates how investigators are entering a new phase as they focus in on the company’s financial affairs.

ABC News reported that he was the first employee of the former president’s company to testify.

‘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,’ Daniel R. Alonso, former chief assistant district attorney in Manhattan, told the outlet.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance is leading one of a number of investigations into the former president’s business practises.

It was triggered by the testimony of Michael Cohen, who worked as Trump’s personal attorney and fixer.

One focus is reported to be whether Trump inflated the value of properties to obtain bank loans and deflated them when calculating tax liabilities. Another area under scrutiny is compensation provided to top employees.

Vance is stepping down at the end of the year, which means he has limited time to bring charges.

Last month it emerged that he had convened a grand jury and was pressing ahead notifying potential witnesses.

Prosecutors have also homed in on one of McConney’s colleagues, Allen H. Weisselberg, the Trump Organization’s chief financial officer.