A previously unknown victim of Donald Trump and the National Enquirer’s so-called “catch-and-kill” campaign was revealed on Tuesday with the official release of the former president’s indictment.
According to prosecutors in the documents released on Tuesday, Mr Trump’s lawyer Michael Cohen directed the head of American Media Inc, the Enquirer’s parent company, to purchase the rights to a story being spread by a doorman at Trump Tower who was claiming to have knowledge of an out-of-wedlock child supposedly fathered by Mr Trump.
The publication later came to believe the story was not true, but regardless the company was directed by Mr Cohen, later imprisoned for his hush payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels which were part of the same “catch-and-kill” effort, to hold on to rights for the story until after the November 2016 presidential election.
“[I]n or about October or November 2015, the AMI CEO learned that a former Trump Tower doorman (the “Doorman”) was trying to sell information regarding a child that the Defendant had allegedly fathered out of wedlock,” reads the indictment.
It continues: “AMI purchased the information from the Doorman without fully investigating his claims, but the AMI CEO directed that the deal take place because of his agreement with the Defendant and Lawyer A. 11. When AMI later concluded that the story was not true, the AMI CEO wanted to release the Doorman from the agreement. However, Lawyer A instructed the AMI CEO not to release the Doorman until after the presidential election, and the AMI CEO complied with that instruction because of his agreement with the Defendant and Lawyer A.”
AMI’s involvement in the Trump campaign’s effort to silence those who came forward with damaging or otherwise embarrassing allegations about then-candidate Trump was already well known. The company was previously reported to have used its power to silence claims of an extramarital affair, similar to those raised by Ms Daniels, by former Playboy “Playmate of the Year” Karen McDougal.
The two stories together present a stunning look at how a presidential candidate weaponised a friendly media outlet against his would-be critics.
Mr Cohen would go on to serve prison time over his involvement in the hush money scheme. On Tuesday, Mr Trump was accused of falsifying business records — a felony charge — in 34 separate instances.
The former president’s defenders on Capitol Hill have fumed and insisted that no crime was committed, while others not aligned with the former president, including some of their GOP colleagues, have declined to issue the same criticism aimed at Mr Bragg.
Mr Trump has long denied any extramarital activities, and successfully fought back a defamation suit brought by Ms Daniels who argued that the former president had impugned her character by denying her claims and attacking her on social media.
