Trump Org CFO granted immunity in Cohen investigation: report

Allen Weisselberg, the longtime chief financial officer of the Trump Organization, has been granted immunity by federal prosecutors working on the criminal investigation into Michael Cohen, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

Weisselberg testified before a federal grand jury earlier this year as prosecutors investigated Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer.

{mosads}Cohen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to eight counts of bank fraud, tax fraud and campaign finance violations relating to the hush-money payments provided to women who alleged affairs with President Trump during the 2016 campaign. 

Weisselberg has served as the executive vice president and chief financial officer for the Trump Organization. He has controlled the company’s financial assets with the president’s two eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, since Trump took office. 

Weisselberg didn’t respond to The Wall Street Journal’s request for comment. The Hill has reached out to the Trump Organization for a comment. 

A lawyer for Trump also declined to comment. 

Weisselberg is the second ally of Trump in two days to reportedly receive immunity in the Cohen probe.

David Pecker, the chief executive of the company that publishes the National Enquirer, was also granted immunity, according to reports on Thursday. 

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that Pecker met with prosecutors to discuss Cohen’s arrangement of nondisclosure payments to two women — adult-film star Stormy Daniels and Playboy model Karen McDougal — who claimed to have had affairs with Trump. 

The Enquirer reportedly paid McDougal $150,000 for a story about the alleged affair in 2006, but never published it. She has since filed a lawsuit against the American Media Inc., the Enquirer’s publisher. 

CNN released audio last month that Cohen had recorded of he and Trump discussing a payment related to McDougal. 

Cohen tells Trump in the clip that he needs “to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David,” likely referencing Pecker. 

The Enquirer endorsed Trump’s run for office and Pecker has reportedly been on friendly terms with him for many years. 

Trump suggested Thursday that “flipping,” the practice of cooperating with prosecutors as part of a plea agreement, “ought to be illegal.”