Former employee says Donald Trump used personal account to repay hush money

New York: A former Trump Organization employee who handled a key payment at the center of Donald Trump's criminal trial in Manhattan told the jury on Monday that much of the money had come from the personal bank account of Trump, who was by then the president of the United States.

Jeffrey S. McConney, the former corporate controller at the Trump Organization, described the reimbursement of Michael Cohen, Trump's longtime fixer, who paid $130,000 out of his pocket to buy the silence of a porn actor during the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. Once Trump was sworn in, he reimbursed Cohen for the hush money paid to the porn actor, Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had sex with Trump.

Here's what to know:

-- Key testimony: McConney walked prosecutors through 11 invoices they say were falsified as part of an effort by Trump to conceal Daniels' story, which threatened to derail his campaign. Cohen ultimately received $420,000 from Trump -- covering the hush money, a bonus and additional funds -- with nine of the 11 payments coming from the personal account of Trump. McConney described how the checks had to be sent to the White House for Trump to sign.

-- Trump found in contempt again: The day began with the judge overseeing the case fining the former president $1,000 and threatening to jail him if he continued to violate a gag order barring attacks on witnesses and jurors. Judge Juan Merchan directly rebuked Trump for what he said was "a direct attack on the rule of law," and the former president shook his head when the judge concluded. Trump has now been fined a total of $10,000, $1,000 for each of 10 violations of the order.

-- The false records charges: Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office have charged Trump with 34 felonies, saying he coordinated the falsification of business records related to the reimbursement. They accuse Trump, 77, of directing his company to describe the payments as "legal expenses" from a retainer agreement, which they say did not exist. Trump has pleaded not guilty and has denied that he had sex with Daniels. If convicted, he could face probation or as long as four years in prison.

-- The trial has been moving quickly: The third week of testimony is underway, and only a few key witnesses have yet to take the stand, including Daniels and Cohen. Trump will not testify as part of the prosecution's case; it is unclear whether he will later take the stand in his own defense.

-- Hope Hicks speaks: Trump's former press secretary and White House communications director on Friday described the deep anxiety that gripped Trump's campaign after the revelation of the so-called "Access Hollywood" tape in October 2016. In nearly three hours on the stand, Hicks also described concerns about a 2016 article in The Wall Street Journal, published days before the election, regarding Karen McDougal, a Playboy model who said she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007. McDougal's story was purchased by the parent company of The National Enquirer, only to be buried.