Elliott Broidy, a top Republican fundraiser and ally of President Donald Trump, said in a statement on Friday that he had a relationship with a Playboy Playmate and offered to help her financially after she told him she was pregnant. The statement came after The Wall Street Journal reported that Michael Cohen, Trump's personal lawyer, arranged for the Playmate to be paid $1.6 million in a deal that prohibited her from disclosing the relationship. Prosecutors have said that a team of their own lawyers, known as a "taint team," should conduct the first review. A lawyer for Trump, Joanna Hendon, said at Friday's hearing, the president had "an acute interest" in the case. Another hearing is scheduled for 2 pm Monday, after Trump's lawyers submit their brief.

Source: dna April 13, 2018 18:45 UTC