National Enquirer parent company AMI promises full cooperation in non-prosecution deal with SDNY

Federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced National Enquirer’s parent company American Media Inc (AMI) has entered into a “non-prosecution agreement” with the Southern District of New York regarding its role in a hush-money payment to Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who says she had an affair with Donald Trump.

As a part of the agreement, AMI admitted that it made the $150,000 payment in concert with a candidate’s presidential campaign, and in order to ensure that the woman did not publicize damaging allegations about the candidate before the 2016 presidential election. AMI further admitted that its principal purpose in making the payment was to suppress the woman’s story so as to prevent it from influencing the election,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York said in a statement.

Wednesday, former Trump attorney Michael Cohen was sentenced to 36 months in prison for a “veritable smorgasbord of criminal conduct,” including violating campaign finance laws by hiding payments to McDougal and adult film star Stormy Daniels.

Read the full statement below: