By Melanie Schmitz
From ThinkProgress.org
The CEO of the parent company that owns checkout line tabloid the National Enquirer was granted immunity in exchange for his testimony on several hush-money payments between former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen and women who claim to have had affairs with the president, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.
David Pecker, chief of American Media Inc. (AMI) and a longtime friend of President Trump, reportedly told prosecutors that Trump was aware of the hush money payments before they took place, and said he had “offered to help keep quiet negative stories about Mr. Trump that might come to [his company’s tabloid], the National Enquirer,” according to an earlier Journal report on Wednesday.
David Pecker, chief of American Media Inc. (AMI) and a longtime friend of President Trump, reportedly told prosecutors that Trump was aware of the hush money payments before they took place, and said he had “offered to help keep quiet negative stories about Mr. Trump that might come to [his company’s tabloid], the National Enquirer,” according to an earlier Journal report on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the outlet revealed Pecker had been incentivized to speak out after being offered full immunity from any criminal charges related to the case.
Cohen, Trump’s personal “fixer,” pleaded guilty this week to six counts of bank and tax fraud, and two counts of campaign violations related to his payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and was given $130,000 not to speak about it in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election. Cohen told the judge Trump had instructed him to handle the payments himself, effectively making the president an unindicted co-conspirator in the matter.
Cohen and Trump also discussed a similar payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claims to have had an affair with Trump in 2006. In August 2016, months before the election, AMI purchased exclusive rights to McDougal’s story – reportedly on behalf of Trump – and subsequently buried it, employing an industry practice known as catch-and-kill.
Cohen, Trump’s personal “fixer,” pleaded guilty this week to six counts of bank and tax fraud, and two counts of campaign violations related to his payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, who claims she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and was given $130,000 not to speak about it in the weeks leading up to the 2016 election. Cohen told the judge Trump had instructed him to handle the payments himself, effectively making the president an unindicted co-conspirator in the matter.
Cohen and Trump also discussed a similar payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who also claims to have had an affair with Trump in 2006. In August 2016, months before the election, AMI purchased exclusive rights to McDougal’s story – reportedly on behalf of Trump – and subsequently buried it, employing an industry practice known as catch-and-kill.
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2 comments:
Gangsters in the White House.
The Emperor Jones.
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