Jared Kushner has been revealed to have been the primary point of contact between Donald Trump and National Enquirer boss David Pecker after the 2016 presidential election.
Kushner's role, reported by the Daily Beast, is gaining exposure just as Pecker's participation in a 'catch-and-kill' arrangement to bury negative stories about Trump is being examined as a potential criminal liability for the president.
Kushner's broad portfolio has inspired envy as well as some ridicule. But his connections to Pecker now connect him to a Trump friend whose role in 'hush' agreements have brought potential criminal exposure for the president.
Prosecutors say Trump, Pecker, and lawyer Michael Cohen hashed out a plan to 'bury' negative stories about Trump, and both Cohen and Enquirer publisher American Media Inc. are cooperating with investigators.
Cohen and Pecker have each admitted to the scheme to have AMI pay $150,000 to Playboy model Karen McDougal.
They each admitted to its occurrence and admitted it was a crime - Pecker through a non-prosecution deal and Cohen in his guilty plea.
That has dramatically increased what is seen as the legal peril for Trump
Pecker's role grew as former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen's stock diminished, according to the account. Cohen was sentenced to three years in jail this week in part due to campaign finance violations connected to a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.
Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner became the primary point of contact between Donald Trump and National Enquirer boss David Pecker beginning during the presidential transition
President Trump, Pecker, and Cohen discussed a plan to protect Trump from negative stories, according to prosecutors
Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to campaign and banking violations after he created a shell company to transfer $130,000 to Stormy Daniels (right), who claims she had an affair with Trump. AMI gave $150,000 to model Karen McDougal (left) who claims she had an affair with Trump
Enemies: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski became a target for the president; now his son-in-law is facing claims he talked dirt about them with the National Enquirer's boss David Pecker
His role diminished as it became clear he would not be following Trump to the White House.
Cohen, who Trump now calls a liar, also worked with Pecker on the McDougal payment.
At the start of the Trump administration, Pecker and Kushner spoke about topics ranging from international relations to gossip, four sources told the publication.
Pecker visited the White House and met with Trump and Kushner in 2017 along with a French businessman ties to Saudi Arabia.
Kushner, whose wife is Ivanka Trump, has been under fire for his close connections to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following the murder of Jamal Kashoggi. Kushner and Ivanka both work in the White House in senior roles.
In March AMI published a 100-page glossy magazine with the crown prince on the cover under the headline 'The New Kingdom' with a story on MBS' 'new vision for 2030.'
Kushner helped organize Trump's first trip as president, to Saudi Arabia.
The Enquirer hammered Hillary Clinton during the campaign with unfavorable stories, endorsed Trump, and ran a story claiming one of Trump's top GOP rivals was having multiple affairs.
The Pecker-Trump relationship also came to light when MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski made the astonishing claim that Trump threatened to sic the tabloid on them unless they 'begged' Trump to intervene.
'This year, top White House staff members warned that the National Enquirer was planning to publish a negative article about us unless we begged the president to have the story spiked. We ignored their desperate pleas,' the hosts, now a married couple, wrote in the Washington Post in June.
Trump countered that Scarborough asked him to stop an unflattering Enquirer story.
The president wrote on Twitter: Watched low rated @Morning_Joe for first time in long time. FAKE NEWS. He called me to stop a National Enquirer article. I said no! Bad show.'
Scarborough responded, writing: 'Yet another lie. I have texts from your top aides and phone records. Also, those records show I haven't spoken with you in many months.'
The host followed up: 'Why do you keep lying about things that are so easily disproven? What is wrong with you?'
Earlier in the day, the Enquirer had posted an article: 'Joe & Mika: TV Couple's Slaezy Cheating Scandal.'
It was a reposting of a seven-part photo essay with claims about the couple.
'Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski started hooking up while married to other people - and the "Morning Joe" co-hosts have used ironclad divorce deals to keep their dirty secret!' the Enquirer wrote earlier in June of 2017.
AMI said at the time it had 'no involvement' in any discussions between the White House and the hosts.
Trump went after the couple on August 22, 2016: 'Some day, when things calm down, I'll tell the real story of @JoeNBC and his very insecure long-time girlfriend, @morningmica. Two clowns!
In their Washington Post op-ed, the couple also wrote: 'During the height of the 2016 presidential campaign, Joe often listened to Trump staff members complain about their boss’s erratic behavior, including a top campaign official who was as close to the Republican candidate as anyone.'
With both Cohen and Pecker spilling the beans on the 'hush' payments to women, that could leave Trump as the odd man out if he continues his denials that he did nothing wrong and never 'directed' Cohen to break the law.
DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel determined during the Nixon Administration that a sitting president could not be indicted, although its position has not been tested in court.
Amid the swirling developments of the week, one powerful Democrat, Rep. Adam Schiff of California, is calling for that interpretation to change.
Although the founders included impeachment in the constitution as a political remedy, critics of the status quo have argued they never intended to give the executive a 'free pass' for crimes just by holding office, including alleged crimes that helped a president obtain the White House.
'I think the Justice Department needs to re-examine that OLC opinion, the Office of Legal Counsel opinion, that you cannot indict a sitting president under circumstances in which the failure to do so may mean that person escapes justice,' Schiff told CNN on Wednesday, hours after Donald Trump's longtime lawyer Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance laws and other matters.
Tweets: 'If it was a Conservative that said what 'crazed' Mika Brzezinski stated ... that person would be banned permanently from television,' said Trump
Meanwhile, impeachment – a subject Democratic leaders sought to tamp down before the elections – continues to hover over the courtroom developments.
If it is determined that the Justice Department can't or won't charge Trump, even with a recommendation from Special Counsel Robert Mueller, it would then fall to House Democrats to begin the process that can result in the president's removal from office.
Adding to the pressure on Democrats will be the statute of limitations on potential campaign finance crimes. That could allow Trump to avoid facing charges by winning election to a second term – even as his subordinate Cohen cools his heels in jail well past the time Trump would again take the oath of office.
Former Acting Solicitor General under President Obama Neal Katyal wrote Wednesday on Twitter that existing special counsel regulations 'put thumb on scale of Mueller asking Acting AG to indict, as that is the one way Mueller can be sure info he has uncovered in his investigation is provided to Congress. EVEN if Mueller thinks AG would say no, he may need to ask.'
Despite the current regulations, Mueller could ask the Justice Department to allow for a waiver to indict, according to Katyal.
If the official overseeing the Russia probe refuses, Mueller would be required to report it to Congress – which would then have that information as it considered any impeachment proceedings.
It is not entirely clear who is even overseeing the probe who would make that call. Trump installed loyalist Matt Whitaker as Acting Attorney General, but Justice has refused media requests for information on whether Whitaker received an ethics review of any potential conflicts, following a slew of comments critical of the Mueller investigation.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/12/15/jared-is-revealed-to-have-become-national-enquirer-boss-david-peckers-top-trump-contact/
Main photo article Jared Kushner has been revealed to have been the primary point of contact between Donald Trump and National Enquirer boss David Pecker after the 2016 presidential election.
Kushner’s role, reported by the Daily Beast, is gaining exposure just as Pecker’s participation in a ...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/12/14/20/7436132-6497551-image-m-4_1544820629479.jpg
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