Weisselberg granted immunity

Top Trump Organization official Weisselberg granted immunity in Cohen investigation

By Kara Scannell and Veronica Stracqualursi

A top figure in President Donald Trump's orbit has been granted immunity in the investigation into hush money payments made to two women who alleged they had affairs with Trump, a source familiar with the matter told CNN Friday.

Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg was granted immunity by federal prosecutors for providing information about Trump's former personal attorney Michael Cohen. The Wall Street Journal first reported the development.

A lawyer for the Trump Organization declined to comment. A spokesperson for the US attorneys office also declined to comment. Weisselberg did not respond to the Journal's request for comment.

Weisselberg was subpoenaed last month to testify as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into Trump's former attorney Michael Cohen, the Journal reported.

At the time, a former Trump Organization employee told CNN that Weisselberg being subpoenaed was the "ultimate nightmare scenario for Trump" because Weisselberg knows "anything and everything" about the finances of the Trump Organization.

"Allen knows where all the financial bodies are buried. Allen knows every deal, he knows every dealership, he knows every sale, anything and everything that's been done -- he knows every membership. Anything you can think of," said the person, who was not making any specific allegations about the Trump Organization's finances.

The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday that the CEO of the National Enquirer publisher, David Pecker, was also granted immunity in the Cohen case for providing details of the payments to prosecutors.

On Tuesday, Cohen pleaded guilty to eight criminal counts, and implicated the President by admitting in court that he "in coordination and at the direction of a candidate for federal office," kept information that would have harmed Trump from becoming public during the 2016 election.