First, they came for President Trump's right-hand men. Now, they're coming for his business.
The Manhattan district attorney's office has launched an investigation into the Trump Organization, the collective of businesses owned by Trump, sources tell CBS News. And, like The New York Times revealed Thursday, the D.A. is considering pursuing criminal charges.
On Tuesday, Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to eight charges of financial crimes, including violating campaign laws. The Manhattan investigation centers around Cohen's case, in which the ex-lawyer pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance rules by paying porn star Stormy Daniels $130,000 to keep quiet about her alleged affair with Trump. The payment was made "at the direction of a candidate for federal office," Cohen said. Cohen also acknowledged arranging a payment to a second woman, former Playboy model Karen McDougal.
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Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani previously indicated Trump knew about and reimbursed Cohen for the payment. The D.A. is looking into business records from the reimbursement to see if they were falsified, CBS News says. The fact that this investigation is coming from a district office could have extra implications, as Trump couldn't pardon someone of state convictions, like he's reportedly considering doing with convicted federal felon Paul Manafort.
The news comes just hours after it was reported that the organization's longtime chief financial officer, Allen Weisselberg, was granted immunity to speak with federal prosecutors. Read more about what a state investigation could mean for Trump here at The Week.
