# 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:** 2
**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, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/21 "2019-02-08T02:30:57Z")
your link goes to “a” ---
**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, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/22 "2019-02-08T02:36:54Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > your link goes to “a” 😃 ---
**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, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/23 "2019-02-08T02:42:31Z")
[sorry](https://www.foxnews.com/tech/jeff-bezos-national-enquirers-parent-company-threatened-to-publish-intimate-photos-of-me) ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/24 "2019-02-08T03:00:19Z")
Isn’t National Enquirer the one that has been accused of buying the rights to Trump’s infidelities and sitting on them? What happens if Bezos says, “Fuck you all”, buys AMI, and hands over all those delicious nuggets to the Post’s investigators? ---
**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, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/25 "2019-02-08T03:27:48Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > Isn’t National Enquirer the one that has been accused of buying the rights to Trump’s infidelities and sitting on them? What happens if Bezos says, “Fuck you all”, buys AMI, and hands over all those delicious nuggets to the Post’s investigators? [As to the first question - yep, and been more than accused.](https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/12/national-enquirer-admits-trump-campaign-finance-crime.html) From that article: > [@Slate](#): > > > [@Slate quoting SDNY](#): > > > > The Office also announced today that it has previously reached a non-prosecution agreement with AMI, in connection with AMI’s role in making the above-described $150,000 payment before the 2016 presidential election. As a part of the agreement, AMI admitted that it made the $150,000 payment in concert with a candidate’s presidential campaign, and in order to ensure that the woman did not publicize damaging allegations about the candidate before the 2016 presidential election. AMI further admitted that its principal purpose in making the payment was to suppress the woman’s story so as to prevent it from influencing the election > > Previous reports related to the investigation had revealed that AMI chairman and CEO David Pecker, a longtime friend of Trump’s, orchestrated a $150,000 payment in 2016 to a former Playboy model named Karen McDougal who says she had an affair with Trump. (Trump denies that it took place, but detailed notes that McDougal has said she took at the time appear to corroborate her claim.) The payment covered a nondisclosure agreement related to the alleged affair but also purported to hire McDougal as a contributor to AMI properties; as you can see above, the company is now attesting that its true purpose was simply to prevent McDougal’s story from harming Trump’s effort to become president. As such, the law dictates that it should have been disclosed publicly as a campaign contribution. (Trump has called the payment a “private transaction,” implying that it was made for personal rather than campaign-related reasons, and blamed Cohen for setting it up improperly.) . Your second question: _shrug_ Depends on if they’re willing to sell - it’s a private company. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/26 "2019-02-08T03:37:08Z")
Oh my, lookie here. That immunity agreement that AIM signed? The Guardian points out that there’s an interesting little clause in it: > [@The Guardian](#): > > Bur the National Enquirer may be at additional legal risk. In its plea deal with federal prosecutors, \*\*AMI pledged not to “commit any crimes subsequent to the date of signing of this agreement.” \*\*. The penalty for violation would be to **void the immunity agreement and open the company up for prosecution.** Just a little bit of legalese buried away in something their [del]Dildo[/del] lawyers told them to sign. I mean, who really reads the fine print? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/27 "2019-02-08T03:47:04Z")
As another poster mentioned elsewhere, I immediately (well, it did take a few minutes) thought of the Duke of Wellington. For those who don’t know the story, the Duke received a letter from a rather disreputable fellow saying that a well-known London courtesan named Harriet Wilson was going to publish her memoirs which included some ‘scenes’ with the Duke. Of course, for a certain sum (left unsaid), he could do some editing. Wellington’s reply was much shorter than Bezos’s, but the sentiment was the same: “Publish and be Damned.” Will be interesting to see how this plays out. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/28 "2019-02-08T03:49:18Z")
Forgot to post the link: > **[Bezos blackmail claims add new twist to tale of Trump, Russia and the media](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/feb/07/jeff-bezos-national-enquirer-blackmail-claims-trump)** > > Trump’s vitriol toward Amazon CEO and long ties to National Enquirer collided last month, when tabloid ran story on Bezos’s affair ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/29 "2019-02-08T03:51:17Z")
> [@galen\_ubal](#): > > … > Your second question: _shrug_ Depends on if they’re willing to sell - it’s a private company. It also depends on whether Bezos is prepared to fund Hulk Hogan and others to sue them for libel and mulct them for substantial monetary damages. ---
**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, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/30 "2019-02-08T03:56:11Z")
> [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](#): > > “Publish and be Damned.” To go one step past Wellington, David Letterman himself actually announced on the air he was being blackmailed and [spent 10 minutes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUGoqAgp760) acknowledging his sins. And **Rysto** , you’re right.:o Exponentials are not my strong suit. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/31 "2019-02-08T03:58:17Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > It also depends on whether Bezos is prepared to fund Hulk Hogan and others to sue them for libel and **mulct** them for substantial monetary damages. Ooh, new word! _Looks up meaning_ ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/32 "2019-02-08T04:09:33Z")
[This](https://twitter.com/renato_mariotti/status/1093658366583422978) lawyer explains convincingly that what the NE did isn’t an actual crime. > > > Jeff Bezos @JeffBezos ---
**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, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/33 "2019-02-08T04:51:28Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > [This](https://twitter.com/renato_mariotti/status/1093658366583422978) lawyer explains convincingly that what the NE did isn’t an actual crime. > > [https://twitter.com/renato\_mariotti/status/1093658366583422978](https://twitter.com/renato_mariotti/status/1093658366583422978) _ahem_ post 17 😃 There’s a followup from Popehat as well. An additional note: > [@](#): > > Ronan Farrow > ‏Verified account @RonanFarrow > > Ronan Farrow Retweeted Jeff Bezos > > I and at least one other prominent journalist involved in breaking stories about the National Enquirer’s arrangement with Trump fielded similar “stop digging or we’ll ruin you” blackmail efforts from AMI. (I did not engage as I don’t cut deals with subjects of ongoing reporting.) [Original tweet here.](https://twitter.com/RonanFarrow/status/1093690150448758784) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/34 "2019-02-08T05:30:20Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Ooh, new word! > > _Looks up meaning_ You need to brush up on your Jeeves and Wooster stories. 😉 ---
**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, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/35 "2019-02-08T05:44:50Z")
And if you want to inspect [AMI’s immunity agreement](https://www.politico.com/f/?id=00000167-a3be-d2a9-a1ef-bfbfa2d40000), it looks like the “fine print” was right up front there. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/36 "2019-02-08T06:30:26Z")
Second rule of the League of Evil Assholes is to only hire stupid lawyers. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/37 "2019-02-08T06:58:16Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Holy crap. Ballsy move by Bezos. Kudos for standing up to scumbag bullies. Yep. AMI may have a Pecker but Bezos has balls! ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/38 "2019-02-08T07:01:53Z")
I’ve always felt Bezos was a douche, but I almost feel like cheering for the guy. What’s that old Arab proverb? The douche bag who is the enemy of the douche bag I don’t like is…not so much a douche bag. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/39 "2019-02-08T07:46:16Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > Second rule of the League of Evil Assholes is to only hire stupid lawyers. What is the first? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2019, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145/40 "2019-02-08T11:54:56Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > What is the first? Always speak in monologues. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/national-enquirer-tries-to-blackmail-bezos-over-wash-post-stories/829145.md?page=3)