Trump Organization executive Patrick Birney testified that CFO Allen Weisselberg and controller Jeffrey McConney had the final say on Trump's financial documents when he worked under them.

"I was not the final decision maker," said Birney, who was an assistant vice president at the time.

Birney joined the Trump Organization in 2015, a few years after he graduated from the University of Michigan. He began helping with Trump's statement of financial condition in 2016 and eventually took over preparing the vital financial document, though he acknowledged in court that he initially lacked some basic knowledge about accounting and finance.

Asked if he ever had valued a property using a capitalization rate, he replied, "I don't think so."

Birney said he would often turn to McConney if he needed specific documents, and that he reviewed drafts of the statement with Weisselberg.

"He would review drafts with me that I would provide him," Birney said. He later added, "Allen Weisselberg had the authority to approve everything."

Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg has completed his direct examination, although he might be called back to testify by either the attorney general or the defense, Judge Arthur Engoron said.

"I am lifting the prohibition on discussing the case with counsel or anyone else," Engoron said about Weisselberg.

Trump Organization executive Patrick Birney, who as assistant vice president took over managing Trump's statement of financial condition after controller Jeffrey McConney, took the stand following Weisselberg.

Ex-Trump CFO Allen Weisselberg, under questioning from state attorney Louis Solomon, addressed the degree to which Donald Trump's three adult children -- Don Jr., Eric, and Ivanka -- were involved in the day-to-day running of the Trump Organization during the period from 2011-2022.

"They wanted to get up to speed on how the business was running," Weisselberg said, noting that Trump's run for president accelerated their engagement in the company.

Emails entered into evidence from around that time suggested that the three Trump children requested financial information about the company's operations.

During one email exchange, Weisselberg directly asked Eric Trump to delay paying off a loan related to Trump's Seven Springs estate so it wouldn't affect the former president's cash balance.

"If we have to pay off the loan I would like to do it post June 30th as that is the date of your dad's annual financial statement ... to keep his cash balance as high as possible," the April 2015 email said.

Former Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg has returned to the stand, nine months after he was sentenced to five months in prison for evading more than $1.7 million in taxes on unreported income in the form of company-provided perks.

One day before his sentencing in January, Weisselberg signed a severance agreement with his former employer saying that if he complied with all the conditions of the agreement, he would receive $2 million spread out over two years, according to court records.

One of those conditions, state attorney Louis Solomon highlighted in court, prevented Weisselberg from voluntarily cooperating with an investigation of his former company or boss.

"I didn't give it a lot of thought, to be honest," Weisselberg said when asked about the section of the agreement preventing him from cooperating with investigators.

"Is it just a coincidence that under this severance agreement, you are being paid $2 million, which is coincidentally the exact amount you were ordered to pay under your guilty plea?" Solomon asked.

"Coincidence," Weisselberg replied.

Former President Donald Trump's plan to deliver part of his closing argument Thursday, as reported yesterday by ABC News, is now in doubt after he failed to meet a deadline to agree to limitations imposed by Judge Arthur Engoron.

According an email exchange between Engonon and defense counsel that was posted to the public docket Wednesday, Engoron said that Trump would have to follow the case's limited gag order, and that he would not be allowed to "impugn" the New York attorney general or her staff -- limitations that Trump attorney Chris Kise rejected, calling them "untenable."

"The limitations I am imposing, in my absolute discretion, are not subject to further debate. Take it or leave it," Engoron replied on Jan. 9, according to the email thread.

When Trump's lawyers missed the first deadline set by Engoron, the judge determined that Trump could not testify. Kise then responded that he did not see the deadline and requested that the closing arguments be postponed because of the death of Melania Trump's mother on Tuesday.

"I am sad to advise the Court that Mrs. Trump's mother passed away this evening. Because of the challenges presented by this deeply personal family matter, President Trump has asked that I request the Court postpone the date for closing argument," Kise wrote yesterday.

Engoron promptly denied the request and said the closings would continue as planned.

"On balance, going forward makes the most sense. Please tell Mr. Trump that I am sorry," Engoron wrote.

Kise informed Engoron that Trump still planned to attend the closings and speak.

"Despite the fact that his Mother-in Law, who he was very close to, passed away late last night, President Trump will be speaking tomorrow," Kise said in an email this morning.

When Engoron asked for assurance that Trump agreed to his rules, Kise pushed back, writing, "You are not allowing President Trump, who has been wrongfully demeaned and belittled by an out of control, politically motivated Attorney General, to speak about the things that must be spoken about."

"I won't debate this yet again. Take it or leave it. Now or never. You have until noon, seven minutes from now. I WILL NOT GRANT ANY FURTHER EXTENSIONS," Engoron replied at 11:54 a.m.

After Kise failed to respond, Engoron emailed him at 12:12 p.m. that he assumed Trump would not be speaking and that their email exchange would be posted to the court's public docket.

Responding to the development, Trump's legal spokesperson, Alina Habba, said in a statement to ABC News: "Is anyone surprised anymore?"