What does Alan Weisselberg know? Michael Cohen seems to think Congress should find out.
In the first half of Michael Cohen's sworn testimony on Wednesday, the lawyer has already offered plenty of shocking revelations. But President Trump's former fixer also did something subtle and potentially worrisome for the commander-in-chief: He hinted at who Congress should question next. "Seems like Cohen is setting the committee up to subpoena testimony from Alan Weisselberg," New York Times congressional editor Jonathan Weisman observed.
The Trump Organization's longtime CFO, Weisselberg is described by The Wall Street Journal as Trump's "financial gatekeeper." On Wednesday, Cohen presented a document showing that Weisselberg signed off on at least one of the several $35,000 checks that Cohen said were intended "to reimburse me for the hush money payments" to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Under oath, Cohen said the payment scheme was "figured out" in Weisselberg's office.
Last year, Weisselberg was granted immunity by federal investigators over the investigation of Michael Cohen. "If Cohen's testimony makes the CFO an even greater person of interest to congressional investigators or prosecutors, then it will put the probes more firmly on a path Trump has repeatedly warned authorities to avoid: the money trail," Bloomberg Opinion argued.
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That seems to be the consensus among analysts — that if there's something worth knowing, Weisselberg, more even than Cohen, is the one who would have the details. "Many of the key questions about Donald Trump revolve around his funding sources and his business partners: Did he knowingly receive funds from criminals? Did he launder money for criminals?" The New Yorker wrote around the time of Weisselberg's plea deal. "Trump, himself, may not know the exact answers to all of these questions. Perhaps Allen Weisselberg does."
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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