Michael Cohen may soon find himself embroiled in yet another criminal probe.
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is reportedly mulling filing criminal charges against the Trump Organization and two of its top executives over the way it recorded the money it paid to Cohen as reimbursement for a hush payment, The New York Times reported Thursday.
According to two officials familiar with the matter who spoke to the Times, Manhattan DA prosecutors are looking at court documents from Cohen’s guilty plea related to the campaign finance violation charges and other federal finance crimes. Those documents reportedly outline how the Trump Organization reimbursed Cohen.
The company paid Cohen $430,000 to reimburse him for the $130,000 he gave porn actress Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged affair with President Trump, as well as to cover his taxes on the payment. The $430,000 also included a bonus for Cohen and covered other campaign expenses, according to the Times.
The $430,000 was reportedly recorded as a legal expense, and Manhattan DA Cyrus Vance is reviewing whether the log of the transaction was falsified with the intention to mislead or defraud.
If Vance decides to pursue charges, the DA’s investigation would fall in line behind a number of other state and federal probes in Cohen. Earlier this week Cohen pled guilty in federal court to eight counts associated with his financial dealings, including campaign finance violations.
