Federal prosecutors are reportedly reviewing National Enquirer's handling of Jeff Bezos story
Source: CNBC
ederal prosecutors are reviewing the National Enquirer's handling of a story involving Jeff Bezos's affair, according to multiple reports.
Law enforcement is interested in whether the tabloid violated an earlier agreement with investigators, according to the outlet.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment. The news of prosecutors' actions was first published by Bloomberg News.
The news comes after Bezos published a blog post on Medium Thursday night in which he detailed allegations of blackmail and extortion against the publisher.
American Media, the parent company of the National Enquirer, said in a statement Friday that it believed it had "acted lawfully in the reporting of the story of Mr. Bezos." The company said it would look into the allegations and take "whatever appropriate action is necessary."
Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/08/jeff-bezos-reportedly-gives-info-to-federal-prosecutors-related-to-national-enquirer-report.html
Stonepounder
(4,033 posts)That's just the way people are. And of course AMI's response was slanted toward them. But if the letters from AMI to Bezos are accurate, and IANAL, it sure looks like blackmail, quacks like blackmail, and waddles like blackmail.
If the SDNY decides it could probably be prosecuted as blackmail, that nullifies the no prosecution clause in AMI's previous agreement with prosecutors for cooperating with SDNY in the paying off of tRump's paramours and then burying the story. (And why would AMI go after Bezos except for the fact that Pecker and tRump are buddies, and tRump hates Bezos).
National Enquirer could be in for a world of hurt.
also has a revenge porn law that could trigger the agreement and maybe easier to prove.
tanyev
(42,677 posts)edbermac
(15,952 posts)What they believe and what the law believes are two different matters.
Grab them by the Pecker, Jeff.
airmid
(500 posts)at those covers in the grocery line. I realized when they were trashing Hillary during the campaign how devastating they could be.
Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin
(108,485 posts)Aussie105
(5,499 posts)methods of obtaining personal information on well known people has been tried in the UK by a Murdoch paper.
It turned out to be highly illegal.
Didn't turn out well for Murdoch. That paper no longer exists.
http://judiciaryreport.com/rupert_murdoch_finally_admits_his_company_phone_hacking_and_wiretapping_crimes.htm