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Trump financial chief 'given immunity' | Trump financial chief 'given immunity' |
(35 minutes later) | |
The Trump Organization's finance boss, Allen Weisselberg, has reportedly been granted legal immunity in the probe into Michael Cohen. | |
He was summoned to testify earlier this year in the investigation into Cohen, Donald Trump's longtime former lawyer, US media report. | |
Cohen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to handling hush money for Mr Trump in violation of campaign finance laws. | Cohen pleaded guilty on Tuesday to handling hush money for Mr Trump in violation of campaign finance laws. |
Mr Weisselberg, Chief Financial Officer, is the latest to get immunity. | |
On Thursday, it emerged that David Pecker, head of the company that publishes the National Enquirer tabloid, was also given immunity. | |
Mr Weisselberg is reportedly mentioned on a tape secretly recorded by Cohen in 2016 in which a hush money payment to an alleged lover of Mr Trump is discussed. | |
It is not yet clear what Mr Weisselberg has agreed to in return for getting legal immunity. | |
The Trump Organization has not commented on the reports, which first emerged in the Wall Street Journal. | |
Where does this fit in? | |
This is the latest twist in a saga continuing to dog the Trump administration. | |
In a serious blow, Cohen, Mr Trump's personal lawyer for more than a decade, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to eight criminal charges, including tax evasion, bank fraud and campaign finance violations. | |
He said he had paid hush money to two women who alleged they had affairs with Mr Trump, at the direction of "the candidate" - a clear reference to Mr Trump. | |
Cohen said the payment was made for the "principal purpose of influencing [the 2016] election". | |
His plea deal with prosecutors could see his prison sentence reduced from 65 years to five years and three months. | |
Mr Weisselberg was one of those called to give evidence before a federal grand jury for the Cohen investigation earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reports. |