During the recent court proceedings, Trump attorney Todd Blanche highlighted that Deborah Tarasoff was not present for discussions between former Trump Org. CFO Allen Weisselberg and Donald Trump. Blanche pointed out that Tarasoff did not seek direct approval from President Trump for generating checks to pay expenses.
Tarasoff confirmed that she did not obtain permission from President Trump himself when instructed by Weisselberg or McConney to issue payments. She clarified that all the checks presented in court to Michael Cohen were signed by her, but she was unaware of what transpired with the checks after she sent them to the White House.
However, Tarasoff mentioned that she eventually received the signed checks back in the mail. This revelation sheds light on the financial transactions involving Cohen and the Trump Organization, indicating a level of autonomy in the payment process.
