# National Enquirer tries to blackmail Bezos over Wash. Post stories **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [February 8, 2019, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145 "2019-02-08T00:08:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/1 "2019-02-08T00:08:38Z")
This is a long article: > **[No thank you, Mr. Pecker](https://medium.com/@jeffreypbezos/no-thank-you-mr-pecker-146e3922310f)** > > Something unusual happened to me yesterday. Actually, for me it wasn’t just unusual — it was a first. I was made an offer I couldn’t… short version : they threaten to publish more pictures/text of him if the post does not back off looking into the first set of texts they published from him. And they also are not happy about the post looking into the murder of the Saudi journalist. And of course the enquirer is very tight with Trump who does not want to make the Saudis mad. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/2 "2019-02-08T00:15:34Z")
The current Huffington Post headline: Bezos Exposes Pecker. Guess they’ve waited a while to use that one. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/3 "2019-02-08T00:21:59Z")
Trump’s former dirt-rag proposes to blackmail the literal richest person on earth over, I guess, some sex things? Heretofore I have not been a fan of this timeline, but the potential is starting to reveal itself. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/4 "2019-02-08T00:43:28Z")
It’s like living in a Richard Condon novel. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/5 "2019-02-08T00:52:59Z")
“I triple dog dare you to publish my dick pics.” ---
**Author:** ![Sherrerd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sherrerd/32/8_2.png) [@Sherrerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sherrerd)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/6 "2019-02-08T01:00:22Z")
And the blackmailers are super-concerned that Saudis might be criticized for the mutilation-murder of a journalist. Yeah, they’re definitely the heroes of the piece. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/7 "2019-02-08T01:09:00Z")
I’m not a lawyer, so can someone tell me, is the National Enquirer fucked? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/8 "2019-02-08T01:10:48Z")
IANAL, but IMO: yes, pretty well fucked. Proper fucked, even. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/9 "2019-02-08T01:13:29Z")
Holy crap. Ballsy move by Bezos. Kudos for standing up to scumbag bullies. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/10 "2019-02-08T01:13:45Z")
But, how fucked? Fucked like, Bezos is going to own the Enquirer? Fucked like, they’re going to prison? Fucked like, Bezos is going to own the Enquirer, and they’re going to prison, and Bezos is going to buy the private prison they go to and install an Amazon shipping center there so they have to work for him? ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/11 "2019-02-08T01:24:52Z")
For now, fucked seems good. Let this one breathe a while. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/12 "2019-02-08T01:35:14Z")
Anyone else keep hearing Lucious Fox saying to Pecker and/or Dildo: “Let me get this straight: you think that you have some leverage on Mr. Bezos, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world, who owns and operates one of the largest and most respected media organizations on the planet known for exposing corruption, and your plan is to blackmail this person?” ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/13 "2019-02-08T01:42:14Z")
Well, NOW I do! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/14 "2019-02-08T01:44:36Z")
I was just about to post that, **Bo**. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/15 "2019-02-08T01:46:57Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Anyone else keep hearing Lucious Fox saying to Pecker and/or Dildo: “Let me get this straight: you think that you have some leverage on Mr. Bezos, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the world, who owns and operates one of the largest and most respected media organizations on the planet known for exposing corruption, and your plan is to blackmail this person?” Yes. In the voice of Morgan Freeman. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/16 "2019-02-08T02:00:21Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > But, how fucked? > > Fucked like, Bezos is going to own the Enquirer? > > Fucked like, they’re going to prison? > > Fucked like, Bezos is going to own the Enquirer, and they’re going to prison, and Bezos is going to buy the private prison they go to and install an Amazon shipping center there so they have to work for him? IANAL, and I have no idea how fucked. But I had to say I’m still laughing on account of #3. ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/17 "2019-02-08T02:16:45Z")
So far as criminal proceedings, from what I’m reading…it’s complicated. I’ll go ahead and copy/paste what I posted elsewhere on the Board > [@me](#): > > Yes, but…it’s complicated, according to the law-talking blogs and tweets I’m reading.[Here’s an unrolled Twitter thread from](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1093658366583422978.html) Renato Mariotti, CNN legal analyst and former Federal Prosecutor. Summing up, it’s despicable, and extortion in the common sense of the word, but prosecutors are unlikely to seek prosecution. The idea appears to be that AMI will argue that this is an attempt at a legal settlement - see numbers 11, 12, and 13. > [Here’s another one from Popehat, discussing the precedents in this sort of case, and the line between discussing a settlement, and (criminal) extortion.](https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1093686028081061888.html?refreshed=yes) > And yeah, however the courts turn out, it is not wise to piss off one of the world’s richest people, and it looks like AMI managed that quite nicely ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/18 "2019-02-08T02:19:46Z")
[Let’s see if I understand the timeline right.](https://www.eonline.com/news/1005706/everything-we-know-about-jeff-bezos-and-lauren-sanchez-s-romance) On January 9, Bezos and his wife announced they were divorcing. On January 10, the _Enquirer_ published a whole bunch of photos and texts about Bezos having an affair. And now, the _Enquirer_ is suggesting that they have[even more photos and texts.](https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/jeff-bezos-accuses-national-enquirer-owner-extortion-blackmail-n969136) WTF does the _Enquirer_ think that kind of threat is going to do? Bezos and his wife are already divorcing, there have already been incriminating photos published and now Pecker and his gang somehow thinks they have leverage? And to top it off, they effectively say **IN WRITING** , nice dick Bezos has there, too bad if we happened to show it to all our readers. I don’t really know how much American Media, Inc. is worth, but last year [they refinanced $460 million in debt,](https://www.foliomag.com/american-media-acquires-tens-adventure-sports-magazines/) so I’m guessing they’re pretty heavily leveraged. OTOH we know that Jeff Bezos could spend\*\*\*\* one thousand times that much\*\*\*\* suing the publishers and he would still be the richest person in the world. Bring it on. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/19 "2019-02-08T02:25:15Z")
I think that you got a zero wrong there. 1000 \* $460M would be $460 billion, which appears to be a bit out of even Bezos’ range if his Wikipedia page is accurate. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/20 "2019-02-08T02:29:18Z")
Wow, this story is so non-small that even foxnews could not ignore it. It is even on their main page. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145.md?page=2)