Trump’s relationship with tabloid under scrutiny

The Wall Street Journal and Vanity Fair, citing anonymous sources, reported Thursday that prosecutors granted immunity to David Pecker, the publisher of the National Enquirer, who helped keep damaging stories about Donald Trump out of the press. Pecker is CEO of American Media Inc., which owns the Enquirer.

Former Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen said that before the presidential election, the tabloid passed along a $150,000 payment from Cohen to Playboy model Karen McDougal for exclusive rights to her story about an alleged extramarital affair she had with Trump. The Enquirer never ran the story, using a practice called “catch and kill.” Pecker, a longtime friend of the president, shared details with prosecutors about the payments to alleged Trump mistresses, the Journal reported.

The Associated Press reported the Enquirer kept documents on hush money payments in a safe, leading many to ask, what other information might the tabloid have about Trump scandals? So far, federal prosecutors have not confirmed that the immunity deal with Pecker exists, neither Pecker nor American Media have commented, and Trump continues to deny having sexual relations with McDougal and another woman whom Cohen paid, pornographic film actress Stephanie Clifford (aka Stormy Daniels).