Allen Weisselberg, Trump Organization CFO, Granted Immunity In Cohen Probe
Allen Weisselberg, the longtime chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, has been granted immunity by federal prosecutors working on the Michael Cohen probe, The Hill reports.
As CNBC noted, Weisselberg was subpoenaed by prosecutors earlier this year. The same outlet noted that Weisselberg has managed to maintain a low profile, in spite of the fact that he is the longtime chief financial officer of the Trump Organization.
The Associated Press described the evolution of the Michael Cohen saga as: “From ‘nothing to see here, to Cohen’s guilty pleas.” As AP noted, Trump’s longtime personal lawyer and fixer recently pleaded guilty to eight felonies, two of which are in relation to hush payments made on behalf, and allegedly at the direction of Donald Trump. Following accusations of campaign finance laws violations, President Trump and his legal team denied campaign funds being used for hush payments.
Yesterday, as Reuters reported, the chief executive of the publisher of the National Enquirer (AMI), David Pecker, was granted immunity by prosecutors investigating Trump’s hush payments. This made Pecker the second AMI executive to receive immunity. AMI executives’ cooperation with prosecutors, Reuters noted, implicates Donald Trump in campaign finance violations. Trump initially denied knowing anything about the payments, but later acknowledged reimbursing Michael Cohen for the payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
According to Reuters, while legal experts argue that a sitting president cannot be indicted, these reports add to political pressure on the Republican Party, and President Trump, ahead of this fall’s midterm elections.
Citing an individual briefed on the matter, NBC News reported on Weisselberg being the “Executive 1” on page 17 of the criminal information filed by prosecutors in the Michael Cohen probe. According to prosecutors, Cohen sent an invoice to Weisselberg for “Payment for services rendered for the month of January and February, 2017,” but this payment was, in fact, meant to reimburse Cohen for a payment to Stephanie A. Gregory Clifford, better known as Stormy Daniels.
Following Cohen’s request, Weisselberg sent an email to another Trump Organization executive.
“Please pay from the Trust. Post to legal expenses. Put ‘retainer for the months of January and February 2017’ in the description.”
According to NBC News, the 70-year-old Allen Weisselberg began working for the Trump Organization in the 1970s, when Donald Trump’s father Fred ran the company. Current Trump Organization CFO was also treasurer of The Donald J. Trump Foundation, the POTUS’ charity organization which has been accused of violating New York state law.
On the tape, seized during FBI’s raid of Cohen’s office, released later by Cohen’s attorney, Michael Cohen can be heard dropping Weissellberg’s name several times.
“I need to open up a company for the transfer of all that info regarding our friend David, so that — I’m going to do that right away. I have spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up with funding,” Cohen can be heard saying, according to NBC News.
