Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer Publisher of Blackmail and Extortion
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos publicly accuses American Media Inc. of extortion, claiming the National Enquirer threatens to release intimate photos unless he denies political motives behind their coverage.
Jeff Bezos accuses American Media Inc. and National Enquirer publisher David Pecker of blackmail and extortion. In a blog post titled "No thank you, Mr. Pecker," the Amazon CEO claims the tabloid threatens to publish intimate photos he sent to his mistress, Lauren Sanchez, unless he makes a specific false public statement.
The explicit condition requires Bezos and his security chief, Gavin de Becker, to state that they have no knowledge of political motives behind the Enquirer's coverage of his divorce. De Becker previously tells the Daily Beast that strong leads point to political forces influencing the tabloid's actions.
AMI firmly denies any illegal behavior and states it acts lawfully in its reporting, though its board announces a thorough investigation into Bezos' claims. The publisher insists it negotiates in good faith with Bezos prior to his explosive public allegations.