Jeff Bezos vs. National Enquirer – Claims of Extortion

Jeff Bezos, the richest man on earth, had some scandalous accusations to share on Medium against American Media Inc. (A.M.I.) which owns The National Enquirer.

How did it all start?

To understand this legal drama, we first have to go to the beginning of January this year. Soon after the announcement of Bezos’ divorce from his wife of MacKenzie, NE ‘ published an investigative article about Jeff Bezos’ alleged extramarital affair with a former host on Fox Lauren Sanchez. Read the full article here. The original article included quotes, messages, and tales of hotel rendezvous between the two lovers.

What did The National Enquirer want from Jeff Bezos?

After NE’s expose about his affairs, Bezos launched his own investigation into how NE was able to obtain his private messages and what their motive might have been. When David Pecker found out, he reached out to Bezos with a threat.

Bezos claims that Pecker threatened to leak intimate pictures of Bezos’ private parts if he did not stop his investigation and publicly affirm that NE’s expose was not politically motivated.

However, Jeff Bezos did not back down. He said, “Of course I don’t want personal photos published, but I also won’t participate in their well-known practice of blackmail…”

Then Bezos announced that he’ll make public the letters American Media Inc. (A.M.I.) had sent him about their ‘proposal.’

Was The National Enquirer politically motivated?

The National Enquirer was recently in the spotlight due to the revelations about their role in the campaign finance prosecution related to President Trump and Michael Cohen (hush payments to the women). The publication narrowly escaped massive legal troubles by agreeing to cooperate with the federal prosecutors.

It is well-known that President Trump and the media company are close. And President Trump has not been quiet about his hatred towards Bezos. He has tweeted many insults targeting Bezos mainly due to the negative coverage of him by The Washington Post, which Bezos owns.

So naturally, there are speculations about NE’s motivations especially since it rarely targets tech executives for their tabloid. Was it to embarrass President Trump’s enemy? Did they use illegal methods to obtain those private messages? These are the questions Bezos’ investigation is exploring.

The agreement A.M.I. had with the federal authorities stipulates that the company will be subject to prosecution if it commits any crimes over the next 3 years. Thus, if A.M.I. had used illegal means to obtain the messages and photos of Mr. Bezos, it will be in big trouble. In addition, a blackmail charge will also put them in serious legal jeopardy.

How did A.M.I. respond to Bezos’ accusations?

David Pecker’s attorney, Elkan Abramowitz, denied Bezos’ claims in the ABC News interview. Abramowitz also insisted that the story was not extortion but journalism. The source of the affair story, he claimed, came from a reliable source close to both Bezos and Sanchez.

He reaffirmed that Bezos’ claims that A.M.I. was trying to curry favor with the White House and Saudi Arabia were absolutely false.

Currently, federal prosecutors in Manhattan are reviewing the allegations.