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| David Pecker, Chief of National Enquirer’s Publisher, Is Said to Get Immunity in Trump Inquiry | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The tabloid executive David J. Pecker has been granted immunity by federal prosecutors investigating payments during the 2016 campaign to two women who said they had affairs with Donald J. Trump, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed on Thursday. | The tabloid executive David J. Pecker has been granted immunity by federal prosecutors investigating payments during the 2016 campaign to two women who said they had affairs with Donald J. Trump, a person familiar with the investigation confirmed on Thursday. |
| Mr. Pecker is the chairman of American Media Inc., the nation’s biggest tabloid news publisher, best known for its flagship, The National Enquirer. | Mr. Pecker is the chairman of American Media Inc., the nation’s biggest tabloid news publisher, best known for its flagship, The National Enquirer. |
| He is close to Mr. Trump and the president’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen, and had been integral to a campaign effort to help protect Mr. Trump from embarrassing stories about women as he ran for the presidency. | He is close to Mr. Trump and the president’s former lawyer and fixer, Michael D. Cohen, and had been integral to a campaign effort to help protect Mr. Trump from embarrassing stories about women as he ran for the presidency. |
| Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday to campaign finance violations as well as bank fraud and tax evasion. He also acknowledged that Mr. Trump had directed him to arrange payments to two women during the 2016 campaign to keep them from speaking publicly about affairs they said they had with Mr. Trump. | Mr. Cohen pleaded guilty in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday to campaign finance violations as well as bank fraud and tax evasion. He also acknowledged that Mr. Trump had directed him to arrange payments to two women during the 2016 campaign to keep them from speaking publicly about affairs they said they had with Mr. Trump. |
| The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night that Mr. Pecker was cooperating with prosecutors, and Vanity Fair published news of the immunity deal on Thursday. | The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday night that Mr. Pecker was cooperating with prosecutors, and Vanity Fair published news of the immunity deal on Thursday. |
| The agreement adds another unusual aspect to a case never seen before in the annals of presidential campaign finance history. It means that a company that operates as a news organization is cooperating with federal authorities on an investigation that involves its work with a campaign. | The agreement adds another unusual aspect to a case never seen before in the annals of presidential campaign finance history. It means that a company that operates as a news organization is cooperating with federal authorities on an investigation that involves its work with a campaign. |
| As The New York Times reported in July, federal prosecutors determined that in American Media’s work for Mr. Cohen — and for Mr. Trump’s candidacy, according to Mr. Cohen — the company operated in more of a campaign mode, serving as a valuable ally. | As The New York Times reported in July, federal prosecutors determined that in American Media’s work for Mr. Cohen — and for Mr. Trump’s candidacy, according to Mr. Cohen — the company operated in more of a campaign mode, serving as a valuable ally. |
| And when the authorities subpoenaed the company in April, its executives decided against fighting it, agreeing to cooperate where warranted, and where they deemed officials were not violating First Amendment rights. | And when the authorities subpoenaed the company in April, its executives decided against fighting it, agreeing to cooperate where warranted, and where they deemed officials were not violating First Amendment rights. |
| The company’s cooperation gives prosecutors a second line of access to communications about the effort to protect Mr. Trump’s secrets involving women during the campaign, on top of the information provided by Mr. Cohen. | The company’s cooperation gives prosecutors a second line of access to communications about the effort to protect Mr. Trump’s secrets involving women during the campaign, on top of the information provided by Mr. Cohen. |
| Though several people familiar with American Media’s operations have said that the company keeps a strict records policy that ensures that emails are deleted regularly, it is not clear that the same held for encrypted communications or recordings. Dylan Howard, the company’s chief content officer, who is also said to be cooperating, was known to have a recording device in his office, according to people familiar with his operations. American Media would not comment. | Though several people familiar with American Media’s operations have said that the company keeps a strict records policy that ensures that emails are deleted regularly, it is not clear that the same held for encrypted communications or recordings. Dylan Howard, the company’s chief content officer, who is also said to be cooperating, was known to have a recording device in his office, according to people familiar with his operations. American Media would not comment. |
| In court documents filed on Tuesday, federal prosecutors cited “encrypted” communications among Mr. Pecker, Mr. Howard and Mr. Cohen regarding the payoff to Stephanie Clifford, the pornographic film actress known as Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had a brief affair with Mr. Trump. | In court documents filed on Tuesday, federal prosecutors cited “encrypted” communications among Mr. Pecker, Mr. Howard and Mr. Cohen regarding the payoff to Stephanie Clifford, the pornographic film actress known as Stormy Daniels, who claimed to have had a brief affair with Mr. Trump. |
| American Media executives might also be in a position to shed light on other people in Mr. Trump’s orbit who may have been involved in the payoffs, which could potentially take the investigation deeper into Mr. Trump’s campaign organization, business or both. | American Media executives might also be in a position to shed light on other people in Mr. Trump’s orbit who may have been involved in the payoffs, which could potentially take the investigation deeper into Mr. Trump’s campaign organization, business or both. |
| Among the records prosecutors subpoenaed last spring were communications between Mr. Pecker and Mr. Howard. According to the court documents made public this week, Mr. Pecker and Mr. Howard had been in touch with Mr. Cohen about both Ms. Clifford and Karen McDougal, the former Playboy model who said she had a 10-month affair with Mr. Trump that began in 2006. | Among the records prosecutors subpoenaed last spring were communications between Mr. Pecker and Mr. Howard. According to the court documents made public this week, Mr. Pecker and Mr. Howard had been in touch with Mr. Cohen about both Ms. Clifford and Karen McDougal, the former Playboy model who said she had a 10-month affair with Mr. Trump that began in 2006. |
| In June 2016, when Ms. McDougal approached American Media about selling her story, both Mr. Pecker and Mr. Howard provided Mr. Cohen a heads-up, prosecutors said. | In June 2016, when Ms. McDougal approached American Media about selling her story, both Mr. Pecker and Mr. Howard provided Mr. Cohen a heads-up, prosecutors said. |
| Mr. Howard negotiated American Media’s eventual purchase of the rights to Ms. McDougal’s story for $150,000 in August 2016 as part of a deal designed specifically to suppress information of the affair, according to Mr. Cohen. As the presidential election neared, Mr. Cohen sought to buy those rights from the American Media executives, prosecutors revealed, though the transaction was never completed. | Mr. Howard negotiated American Media’s eventual purchase of the rights to Ms. McDougal’s story for $150,000 in August 2016 as part of a deal designed specifically to suppress information of the affair, according to Mr. Cohen. As the presidential election neared, Mr. Cohen sought to buy those rights from the American Media executives, prosecutors revealed, though the transaction was never completed. |
| While Mr. Cohen went on to negotiate directly for Ms. Clifford’s silence about Mr. Trump, she, too, had initially considered sharing her story with American Media before the company’s executives steered her to Mr. Cohen, who paid Ms. Clifford $130,000 in the final days of the 2016 campaign. | While Mr. Cohen went on to negotiate directly for Ms. Clifford’s silence about Mr. Trump, she, too, had initially considered sharing her story with American Media before the company’s executives steered her to Mr. Cohen, who paid Ms. Clifford $130,000 in the final days of the 2016 campaign. |
| Mr. Pecker and Mr. Howard did not immediately respond to requests for comment. | Mr. Pecker and Mr. Howard did not immediately respond to requests for comment. |
| Depending on how far the immunity agreement goes — and that was not clear as of Thursday afternoon — it gives American Media breathing room in an investigation that has posed a serious legal threat to the company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2010. This year, the company notably expanded its portfolio, buying up more than a dozen titles that included In Touch and Life & Style magazines. | Depending on how far the immunity agreement goes — and that was not clear as of Thursday afternoon — it gives American Media breathing room in an investigation that has posed a serious legal threat to the company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2010. This year, the company notably expanded its portfolio, buying up more than a dozen titles that included In Touch and Life & Style magazines. |
| In bringing their charges against Mr. Cohen this week, prosecutors defined American Media’s payment to Ms. McDougal as an illegal, coordinated campaign expenditure. Election law prohibits corporations from spending money to influence elections in conjunction with candidates or their representatives. | In bringing their charges against Mr. Cohen this week, prosecutors defined American Media’s payment to Ms. McDougal as an illegal, coordinated campaign expenditure. Election law prohibits corporations from spending money to influence elections in conjunction with candidates or their representatives. |
| “He reminded us,” Robert S. Khuzami, the deputy United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said of Mr. Cohen when he announced the charges in Manhattan this week, “that it is illegal for corporations to make contributions to candidates.” | “He reminded us,” Robert S. Khuzami, the deputy United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said of Mr. Cohen when he announced the charges in Manhattan this week, “that it is illegal for corporations to make contributions to candidates.” |