Trump Reportedly Directed Hush Money Payments and National Enquirer Offered to Help

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Variety
Expert

President Donald Trump directly intervened to suppress stories about alleged affairs with women, despite denials of knowing about payments, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Journal also shed more light Friday on the cozy relationship between Trump and David Pecker, the CEO of American Media — the parent company of the National Enquirer.

According to the Journal, Pecker and Trump met at Trump Tower in August 2015, just as Trump’s presidential campaign was starting. Pecker then offered to use the Enquirer to pay off women if they attempted to go public with allegations of sexual contact against Trump.

Press outlets generally are exempt from campaign finance laws, but not a corporate parent, according to Trevor Potter, the founder and president of the Campaign Legal Centerand former chairman of the Federal Election Commission. In August, Potter said what is problematic is if AMI “entered into an agreement with Trump and his campaign to use corporate money to squelch information detrimental to Trump’s election.”

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