Feds Believe National Enquirer Publisher Acted as Political Supporter for Trump Campaign, Report Say
by Ronn Blitzer at Law and Crime
https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/feds-believe-national-enquirer-publisher-acted-as-political-supporter-for-trump-campaign-report-says/
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Federal investigators looking into President Donald Trump‘s former lawyer Michael Cohen have been digging into payments made to women who claimed to have had affairs with Trump in the past. Now, it appears that American Media Inc., the publisher of the National Enquirer who made one of those payments, could be in trouble as well, according to The New York Times.
In 2016, A.M.I. paid former Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for her story about a relationship she said she had with Trump from 2006 to 2007. The deal gave A.M.I. the rights to the story, which they chose to sit on, effectively keeping the allegations under wraps. The deal also included an arrangement for McDougal to publish columns in A.M.I.’s publications, which she claims they did not fulfill.
Prosecutors are now looking at whether A.M.I.’s behavior crossed the line from journalism into political activity, given that they spent money on something that is believed to be for the benefit of Trump’s campaign. McDougal, in a lawsuit, claims that her attorney at the time, Keith Davidson, had been in touch with Cohen regarding the status of the agreement.
If A.M.I. and Cohen were working together for the Trump campaign’s benefit, that could put the publisher in jeopardy for possibly violating campaign finance law. The payment for McDougal’s story–and her silence–could be viewed as an in-kind contribution, well beyond the maximum amount allowed. Cohen is reportedly already being looked at for a possible similar violation regarding a payment he made to Stormy Daniels.
Additionally, if A.M.I. was working in coordination with Trump himself, that could be in violation of a prohibition against corporations coordinating with campaigns.
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