Hannity gave Michael Cohen advice for dealing with old Trump mistresses during 2016 campaign: NYT

Fox News host Sean Hannity reportedly grew so close to Donald Trump's campaign operation in 2016 that he gave estranged "fixer" Michael Cohen advice on handling former Trump mistresses who could hurt his chances of winning the White House.

Two sources have told the New York Times that Hannity "had effectively been a member of [Trump's] campaign team, for instance pressing Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, to be on the lookout for former girlfriends and employees who might make trouble for the candidate ahead of the election."

Hannity is denying that he gave Cohen warnings about former Trump mistresses, although the Times is standing by its reporting.

Cohen last year pleaded guilty to making illegal campaign contributions via hush money payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal in exchange for their silence about past affairs with Trump.

As part of his plea agreement, Cohen said that he made these payments "at the direction of" Trump, thus implicating the president as an unindicted co-conspirator.