Trump Organization chief financial officer Allen Weisselberg has been granted immunity in the federal investigation of Donald Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen, reports say.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr Weisselberg, who has been the president’s bookkeeper for his personal and business affairs for years, has received exemption from possible prosecution about hush-money payments made by Cohen to two women who alleged sexual affairs with Mr Trump.

Mr Weisselberg, who had been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand jury earlier this year, according to The Wall Street Journal, is believed to have allegedly arranged the reimbursement to Cohen for the payments. Mr Weisselberg is not named in the charging documents. The development was the latest twist in a week that has seen Mr Trump and the White House thrown onto the back foot.

The Independent has reached out to the Trump Organization for comment.

Cohen arranged hush-money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, real name Stephanie Clifford, for $130,000 (£100,000) and former Playboy playmate Karen McDougal for $150,000 (£117,000) during the 2016 presidential campaign. Both women have alleged they had affairs with Mr Trump, which he has denied.

David Pecker, top boss of National Enquirer and longtime ally of Mr Trump, was recently reported to also have been granted immunity in the probe. Mr Pecker and Cohen had allegedly took part in a "catch and kill" tabloid tactic to buy the rights to Ms McDougal's story of her alleged affair with Mr Trump for the sake of burying it.

Mr Pecker has supposedly provided prosecutors with information on Cohen's hush-money payments, according to multiple reports. Sources have also told The Wall Street Journal that chief content officer Dylan Howard of American Media, Inc, parent company of National Enquirer, has also been granted immunity in the probe.

Trump says he chose Sessions for his loyalty

Cohen has pleaded guilty to eight felony charges, including campaign finance violations from 2016. Mr Trump has since lambasted the probe saying Cohen's payments weren't from campaign finance, suggesting his former lawyer "made a great deal" by accepting a plea bargain on campaign-related charges.

Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests Show all 16 1 /16 Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests President Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki Reuters Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests An advert from Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat is on display in Helsinki Reuters Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests President Trump in a meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto AFP/Getty Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests President Trump meets with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki EPA Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests President Trump talks with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto in Mantyniemi, the official residence of the Finnish President EPA Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests US, Finnish and Russian flags fly in front of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki EPA Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests A protester wears a mask featuring a portrait of Russian President Vladimir Putin during the so-called "Helsinki against Trump and Putin" demonstration on July 16, 2018, in the Finnish capital Helsinki. The US and Russian leaders opened an historic summit in Helsinki on Monday, with Donald Trump promising an "extraordinary relationship" and Vladimir Putin saying it was high time to thrash out disputes around the world. / AFP PHOTO / Jonathan NACKSTRANDJONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images JONATHAN NACKSTRAND AFP/Getty Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests Vladimir Putin gifts a football to President Trump at the press conference that followed their meeting AP Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests Trump supporters hold banners during a demonstration in Helsinki AFP/Getty Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests People protest for women's reproductive rights in Helsinki's Senate Square Reuters Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests A crowd watches the motorcade transporting President Trump through Helsinki AFP/Getty Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests Russian President Putin drives through Helsinki on his way to meet with President Trump EPA Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests A man in the audience of the joint press conference holds up a sign sign that reads "NUCLEAR WEAPON BAN TREATY". REUTERS Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests A man is removed from the joint press conference in Helsinki. Security removed the man after he pulled out a sign that read "NUCLEAR WEAPON BAN TREATY". REUTERS Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests President Trump and Russia's President Putin sit for a working lunch in Finland's Presidential Palace AFP/Getty Trump in Helsinki: Putin meeting and protests President Trump meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki Reuters

"Because he was in another business, totally unrelated to me, where I guess there was fraud involved and loans and taxi cabs and all sorts of things," Mr Trump said, according to CNN. "Nothing to do with me."

Special Counsel Robert Mueller referred federal prosecutors to investigate Cohen as part of his probe into whether Russia had meddled into the 2016 presidential election. Moscow has denied meddling and Mr Trump has repeatedly charged there was no collusion.