The accountant who handled former President Donald Trump’s personal and business tax matters for decades began testifying Monday as the first defense witness in the criminal tax fraud trial of the Trump Organization.

Donald Bender, who testified that he has worked for the accounting firm Mazars USA and its predecessors for more than 40 years, answered questions from Trump Organization defense attorney Susan Necheles of NechelesLaw about his work and his relationship with Allen Weisselberg, the former Trump Organization chief financial officer who pleaded guilty in the case in August.