Trump finance boss opens up after gaining immunity deal
Donald Trump’s long-time financial gatekeeper took immunity from prosecution to discuss what he knew about payments to the president’s former lawyer, Michael Cohen, numerous United States media outlets reported yesterday.
Allen Weisselberg, the Trump Organisation’s chief financial officer, was said to have met prosecutors weeks ago after a grand jury summons.
The conversations reportedly were about Cohen, who this week pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance laws over payments to two women claiming affairs with Trump before the 2016 election. Prosecutors said Cohen was reimbursed for his role in the payments through a US$35,000 ($52,347) monthly retainer. Cohen effectively accused Trump of being a co-conspirator by claiming he gave the direction to make the payments.
Commentators suggested Weisselberg’s conversation could be a “Pandora’s box” for prosecutors.
He spent decades with the Trump Organisation and reportedly got Trump to sign off cheques on an almost daily basis.
The saga centres on payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal, a Playboy model. Both women claimed affairs with Trump, which he has denied, and were paid for their silence. Daniels got $130,000 and McDougal $150,000.
Trump said the money did not come from campaign finances and denied any crime.
He also said he was only aware of the payments “later on”.
David Pecker, a friend of Trump and chief executive of the publishers of the National Enquirer, has also reportedly been given immunity by New York prosecutors. His firm has been accused of involvement in both payments, including buying McDougal’s story and “killing” it.
● President Trump said yesterday he had directed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to delay a trip to North Korea, citing insufficient progress on denuclearisation.
Trump's decision followed a report issued this week by the International Atomic Energy Agency outlining “grave concern” about the North's nuclear programme. It came a day after Pompeo appointed Stephen Biegun, a senior executive with Ford Motor Co, to be his special envoy for North Korea and said he and Biegun would visit next week.