WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Federal prosecutors have granted immunity to Trump Organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg in a probe involving President Donald Trump’s former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
Weisselberg was called to testify before a federal grand jury earlier this year, the Journal said.
Cohen, who arranged hush-money payments before the 2016 U.S. presidential election to at least two women who had alleged having sex with Trump, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to campaign finance violations and other charges. He said Trump directed him to arrange the payments.
Two executives at American Media Inc, which publishes the National Enquirer, a tabloid reportedly involved in making the payments, have also been granted immunity in the investigation, according to news media reports. One of the executives is American Media Chief Executive David Pecker, a longtime Trump friend, according to the reports.
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A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, which has been leading the Cohen investigation, declined to comment. The Trump Organization did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alan Futerfas, an outside lawyer for the organization, also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Weisselberg was mentioned by Cohen on a secret recording the lawyer made in which Cohen and Trump appeared to discuss reimbursing American Media for a hush-money payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who has said she had an affair with Trump. Trump has denied the affair. Trump has also denied having sex with adult-film actress Stormy Daniels.
(Reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Jonathan Oatis)
