Another Longtime Trump Ally Is Granted Immunity

First Michael Cohen, then David Pecker, and now Allen Weisselberg. Another longtime ally of President Trump has been granted immunity by prosecutors in exchange for testimony. The 70-year-old Weisselberg is no mere acquaintance: He has served for decades as chief financial officer and executive VP of the Trump Organization, reports the Wall Street Journal. In fact, when Trump was elected president, he turned over the financial reins of his business empire to Weisselberg and to Trump's adult sons. Weisselberg actually started working for the organization in the 1970s, when Trump's father, Fred, ran it, per NBC News.

Earlier this year, Weisselberg was called to testify before a grand jury as part of the investigation of Cohen's payments to two women in exchange for their silence about alleged affairs with Trump. Weisselberg had been mentioned in a recorded conversation between Cohen and Trump about how to facilitate a payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal. Cohen has pleaded guilty to eight charges and said Trump directed him to make the hush-money payments ahead of the election, possibly implicating the president in a federal crime. It's not clear what information Weisselberg provided in the investigation. (This week, Trump suggested that "flipping" in exchange for deals with prosecutors should be illegal.)