Allen Weisselberg, CFO of the Trump Organization, was granted immunity by New York prosecutors in relation to the Michael Cohen investigation, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday.
Mr. Weisselberg testified in front of a federal grand jury earlier this year.
The news comes just one day after the National Enquirer’s David Pecker was also reportedly given the same offer to testify in the Cohen case.
Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges of campaign finance violations, bank fraud and tax evasion in relation to hush money payments. He said during his plea that his actions were directed by President Trump.
Mr. Trump has denied any wrongdoing in relations to the hush money payments, arguing that campaign finance violations aren’t actually crimes. However, the president insisted the money didn’t come from the campaign.
“They didn’t come out of the campaign. They came from me,” Mr. Trump said during a Fox News interview.
On a tape secretly made of a conversation between Mr. Cohen and Mr. Trump during the campaign and leaked in July, Mr. Cohen implicated Mr. Weisselberg in the cover-up controversy, telling Mr. Trump he spoke with the Trump Organization CFO about how to set up a shell company to disguise a payment.
This plan was aimed at buying the rights to the story of former Playboy Bunny Karen McDougal, which were sold to the National Enquirer but never published.
Mr. Pecker was also mentioned in the tape.
“I need to open up a company for the transfer of all that info regarding our friend David,” Mr. Cohen is heard saying, “I’m going to do that right away. I have spoken to Allen Weisselberg about how to set the whole thing up with funding.”
Mr. Weisselberg, who was hired by Mr. Trump’s father, has been with the organization since the 1970s.
• Gabriella Muñoz can be reached at gmunoz@washingtontimes.com.
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