Cable Forum - View Single Post - President Trump & U.S Election 2016 Investigation

**Hugh** · 24-08-2018, 16:16

https://www.wsj.com/articles/allen-w...ion-1535121992

Quote:

Allen Weisselberg, President Trump’s longtime financial gatekeeper, was granted immunity by federal prosecutors for providing information about Michael Cohen in the criminal investigation into hush-money payments for two women during the 2016 presidential campaign, according to people familiar with the matter.

Mr. Weisselberg was called to testify before a federal grand jury in the investigation earlier this year, The Wall Street Journal previously reported, citing people familiar with the investigation.

The decision by prosecutors in the Manhattan U.S. attorney’s office to grant immunity to Mr. Weisselberg escalates the pressure on Mr. Trump, whom Mr. Weisselberg has served for decades as executive vice president and chief financial officer of the Trump Organization. After Mr. Trump was elected, he handed control of his financial assets and business interests to his two adult sons and Mr. Weisselberg.

https://www.npr.org/2018/08/24/64149...=1535123705559

Quote:

David Pecker, the chairman of American Media, Inc., which publishes the National Enquirer, was granted immunity in exchange for giving prosecutors information about Cohen and Trump's knowledge of those payments, according to The Wall Street Journal and other media outlets.

The Enquirer allegedly used a tactic known as "catch-and-kill" — when a publication buys the rights to a damaging story for the purpose of sitting on it and keeping that story out of the news.

The Associated Press reported Friday that the magazine even had a location where records of these payments were stored: a safe full of documents, not only relating to Trump, but similar "catch-and-kill" deals with other celebrities.

"By keeping celebrities' embarrassing secrets, the company was able to ingratiate itself with them and ask for favors in return," the AP reports.