The Manhattan district attorney's office is weighing filing criminal charges against the Trump Organization and two senior company officials in relation to hush money payments Michael Cohen made to Stormy Daniels, two officials familiar with the situation told The New York Times on Thursday.
The investigation would reportedly revolve around how the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer, for a $130,000 payment he made to Daniels, a porn star who said she had an affair with Trump. Federal prosecutors have said the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen using "sham legal invoices in connection with a nonexistent retainer agreement." The officials told the Times the prosecutors are in the very early stages of considering whether to proceed. Trump does not have the power as president to pardon anyone convicted of a state crime.
The Times also learned that the New York State attorney general's office has moved to open a criminal investigation into whether Cohen violated state tax law. On Tuesday, Cohen pleaded guilty to federal tax evasion charges, and this is not connected to those crimes.
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