Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is alleging that the National Enquirer threatened to publish intimate photos of him unless he made a public statement to the press denying that the Enquirer’s reporting was politically motivated in favour of Donald Trump.

Last month, the Enquirer reported on Bezos divorce and published text messages between him and Lauren Sanchez, whom he was said to be dating.

In a Medium post published on Thursday, Bezos refers to statements Amazon’s personal security consultant Gavin de Becker made to the press stating that “strong leads point to political motives” in the releasing of Bezos’ texts to the Enquirer.

“That said, if your client agrees to cease and desist such defamatory behavior, we are willing to engage in constructive conversations regarding the texts and photos which we have in our possession. Dylan Howard stands ready to discuss the matter at your convenience,” Bezos claims was stated in a letter sent to him from the Enquirer.

David Pecker, the head of National Enquirer parent company American Media Inc., is a longtime friend of Trump. The National Enquirer admitted last year, according to the Southern District of New York police, to facilitating a USD$150,000 payment to former Playboy model Karen McDougal to retain exclusive rights to her story – some say to ensure the details weren’t released until after the campaign.

The Enquirer was also a major booster of Trump during the presidential campaign.

In addition to founding the world’s largest e-commerce site, Bezos, is also the owner and benefactor of The Washington Post.

Bezos, who owns more than $120 billion in Amazon stock, continued, “If in my position I can’t stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can?”

More to come. 

Source: Read Full Article