Tabloid Owned By GOP Nominee’s Pal Paid $150K For Rights To Karen McDougal’s Account, Never Published ItÂ
The National Enquirer, which has endorsed Donald Trump and is owned by his longtime friend, David J. Pecker, recently killed a story about an extramarital affair between the GOP presidential nominee and a Playboy model. Â
The Wall Street Journal reports that American Media Inc., which owns the Enquirer, paid Karen McDougal $150,000 in August for the rights to her story about her alleged affair with Trump that began in 2006, when he was married to his current wife, Melania.Â
However, in a practice known as “catch and kill,” the Enquirer never published the story.Â
American Media denies that it killed the story, saying it paid McDougal to publish her fitness columns, even though it hasn’t done so. And Trump’s campaign called reports about the affair with McDougal “totally untrue.”Â
However, McDougal has told friends that the affair lasted for about a year between 2006 and 2007. McDougal reportedly expected the Enquirer to publish her story, which her agreement with American Media prohibits her from disclosing elsewhere.
The Wall Street Journal reportedly reviewed a copy of the agreement between McDougal and American Media, which doesn’t mention Trump by name but gives the publisher the rights to “any romantic, personal and/or physical relationship McDougal has ever had with any then-married man.â€
The Journal also reviewed a copy of the agreement between McDougal and her attorney, Keith Davidson, who was hired to represent her in connection with “claims against Donald Trump and or assisting client in negotiating a confidentiality agreement and/or life rights related to interactions with Donald Trump and/or negotiating assignment of exclusive press opportunities regarding same.”Â
Davidson also represents Stephanie Clifford, a former adult film star who was recently in discussions with ABC to publicize an alleged relationship with Trump, before cutting off contact with the network.Â