In related Michae Cohen news, prosecutors with the Southern District of New York announced that they had previously reached a non-prosecution deal with AMI, the parent company of the National Enquirer, over the publication’s role in paying alleged hush money to former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal:
Breaking: SDNY reaches non-prosecution with the parent company of the National Enquirer, in which AMI admits it made hush money payment to Karen MacDougal “in concert with” the Trump campaign.
— Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) December 12, 2018
Money quotes:
“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.”
SDNY: “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.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 12, 2018
“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.”
More: “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.”
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) December 12, 2018
Full statement here:
SDNY says it reached a non-prosecution agreement with AMI in connection with the $150k McDougal payment. "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."* pic.twitter.com/NpP1uGGyZC
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) December 12, 2018
This is obviously another potential problem for the president:
This is also potentially problematic for Trump. And a reminder the evidence on the Stormy and McDougal payments isn’t isolated to Cohen. https://t.co/Tj93p0hHLa
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) December 12, 2018
The WSJ reported back in August that the SDNY granted immunity to David Pecker, CEO of AMI:
David Pecker, the AMI chief executive, was granted immunity by federal prosecutors for providing information about Cohen and Trump, including Trump's knowledge of the deals, @WSJ reported in August. https://t.co/2nSnmfH4p2
— Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) December 12, 2018
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