L'Affaire Cohen
Michael Cohen reportedly interviewed as part of investigation into Trump Organization
Michael Cohen, President Trump's former personal lawyer, was recently interviewed by prosecutors from the New York district attorney's office as part of an investigation into how the Trump Organization handled payments made to two women who say they had affairs with Trump, people with knowledge of the matter told CNN on Wednesday.
Cohen is currently serving a three-year prison sentence at a facility in Otisville, New York, after pleading guilty last year to campaign finance violations and lying to Congress. Cohen set up hush money payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal ahead of the 2016 presidential election, in order to keep the women quiet about their alleged affairs with Trump. He was reimbursed for the $130,000 he paid Daniels, and last year, prosecutors alleged the Trump Organization considered these fees legal expenses, even though Cohen did not do any actual work for the company in 2017.
This new investigation was launched in August, with federal prosecutors looking into whether the Trump Organization falsified records related to Cohen's reimbursement, CNN reports. Subpoenas have been sent to the Trump Organization and American Media Inc., publisher of the National Enquirer. AMI has admitted it paid McDougal $150,000 in order to keep her story about the alleged affair under wraps.