From CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren Del Valle, Jeremy Herb and Kaitlan Collins in the courthouse
Defense lawyer Todd Blanche is asking Gary Farro: "You never had any communications with him about Donald Trump himself did you?"
"I did not," Farro says.
"You never have spoken with Donald Trump yourself?" Blanche asks.
"I have not," Farro testifies.
Todd Blanche just stepped away to consult with Donald Trump and another attorney, Emil Bove.
When asked by attorney Todd Blanche, Gary Farro says he wouldn't consider Michael Cohen a politically exposed person when he was Trump's personal attorney.
Banks keep a closer eye on account activity for clients they designate as politically exposed persons, Farro says.
Gary Farro testifies he learned Michael Cohen left the Trump Organization in March 2017 when he received a bounce-back to an email.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche reminded Farro that Cohen opened a new bank account for his new law firm around that same time.
Farro said there were no concerns about the opening of that account.
Gary Farro is testifying that had he known Essential Consultants was a shell company and not an operating business, he would not have opened the account for Michael Cohen.
"If client told me it was a shell corporation, it would not have been opened. It would give me pause very frankly," Farro says.
The only type of shell corporation he would open would be for a mortgage to remain anonymous, he explains.
Farro confirms that Cohen never told him the account was being opened for political activity.
Farro adds that if any account was associated with an entity flagged on a Office of Foreign Assets Control list, the bank would automatically deny the request.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche is confirming that Michael Cohen indicated on the paperwork for Essential Consultants LLC that he was not "acting as an agent" of anyone when he opened the account.
"We would have to know who he was acting as an agent for,"banker Gary Farro said explaining that they'd need proof beyond a verbal assurance. "We would have to ensure that he was not working with a person of interest."
From CNN's Maureen Chowdhury
While Judge Juan Merchan held Donald Trump in contempt for violating his gag order, there is a narrow scope where the former president could still post about witnesses to defend himself if provoked, CNN legal analyst Karen Friedman Agnifilo said.
Agnifilo noted that the judge talks about witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels and "he does acknowledge that Trump can respond if required. So he's almost sending a message in here as well saying,'Look if it turns out that other people are using this gag order as a way to attack you, you can attack back.'"
She added, that Merchan is essentially saying that the gag order will not apply to witnesses who clearly are not afraid to provoke Trump. So Merchan really drilled down on what is allowed and what is not allowed, Agnifilo said.
Witness Gary Farro says he has "no idea why" the Resolution LLC account was never opened.
This was the account that was to be used for payment of Karen McDougal.
"It's not a red flag," Farro says.
Trump attorney Todd Blanche asked Michael Cohen's former banker Gary Farro, "If he had said this is a deal I was doing with my employer, you may have asked questions?"
"I would have asked questions," Farro said.
