Updated December 12, 2018 Corruption & Self-Dealing
Major Abuse of Power
Catch and Kill: National Enquirer's AMI Suppressed Stories to Protect Trump's 2016 Campaign
The National Enquirer's 'catch and kill' program operated by buying the rights to stories from people with negative accounts of Trump — paying them for exclusives and then killing the stories. AMI purchased stories involving alleged sexual affairs and other damaging material. Federal prosecutors concluded the scheme constituted illegal campaign contributions; AMI entered a non-prosecution agreement admitting this. David Pecker's cooperation was central to the conviction of Michael Cohen and the eventual conviction of Trump himself.