Trump 'catch and kill': SDNY won't prosecute National Enquirer (AMI) because they're helping investigators

The company that owns The National Enquirer tabloid will not be prosecuted for its efforts to protect Donald Trump during his presidential campaign.

AMI, which owns the tabloid National Enquirer, admitted to making a $150,000 hush money payment, and will cooperate with investigators.

AMI chief David Pecker is (was?) a longtime friend of Donald Trump, long before the campaign.

Pecker has been granted immunity.

He is singing.

Trump should be worried.

The U.S. Southern District of New York reached a non-prosecution agreement with AMI, in which the firm admitted it made "catch and kill" payment to Trump's alleged ex-paramour Karen MacDougal.

AMI admitted that it paid her "in concert with" the Donald Trump presidential campaign.

Said the SDNY prosecutors, "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."

Prosecutors say AMI admitted "its principal purpose in making the payment was to suppress the woman's story so as to prevent it from influencing the election."

Excerpt from the SDNY press release.

The Office also announced today that it has previously reached a non-prosecution agreement with AMI, in connection with AMI's role in making the above-described $150,000 payment before the 2016 presidential election. 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.

Assuming AMI's continued compliance with the agreement, the Office has agreed not to prosecute AMI for its role in that payment. The agreement also acknowledges, among other things, AMI's acceptance of responsibility, its substantial and important assistance in this investigation, and its agreement to provide cooperation in the future and implement specific improvements to its internal compliance to prevent future violations of the federal campaign finance laws. These improvements include distributing written standards regarding federal election laws to its employees and conducting annual training concerning these standards.

BREAKING: @SDNYnews released a press release announcing today that "it has previously reached a non-prosecution agreement with AMI, in connection with AMI's role in making the above-described $150,000 payment before the 2016 presidential election."

No statement from Khuzami. pic.twitter.com/jnwMI0nhD4

- Adam Klasfeld (@KlasfeldReports) December 12, 2018

Woah! This from SDNY, saying they reached a non-prosecution agreement with AMI, in connection with AMI's role in making the $150,000 payment. As a part of the agreement, AMI admitted that it made the $150,000 payment in concert with Trump's campaign.

- Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) December 12, 2018

reminder that ami is such a pro-trump attack dog they even went after malia obama https://t.co/nUJ684yZDD

- Oliver Willis (@owillis) December 12, 2018

Reminder that AMI repeatedly said it paid $150,000 to Karen McDougal for editorial reasons, not to benefit the Trump campaign. The company even put her on the cover of Men's Journal against her will.https://t.co/Qbzl4NUMQH

- Nicole Hong (@nicole_hong) December 12, 2018

National Enquirer (aka AMI,) run by Trump's longtime friend David Pecker, is cooperating with prosecutors at @TheJusticeDept https://t.co/lVkRlh6dlk

- (@Anthony) December 12, 2018

This is the most comprehensive account of Trump's direct involvement in the payoffs, raising the possibility that the president of the United States violated federal campaign-finance laws.

w/@joe_palazzolo @mrothfeld @rebeccadobrien @rebeccaballhaushttps://t.co/Mjz8U9XWK4

- Nicole Hong (@nicole_hong) November 9, 2018