'Please make it stop': Cincinnati Enquirer begs Jeff Bezos for help after thousands confuse its Twitter page with National Enquirer's amid 'blackmail' row and bury it in hilarious memes
- Cincinnati Enquirer tweeted 'make it stop pls' to Jeff Bezos Thursday night
- Local publication has been mistaken by many for being the National Enquirer
- Many social media users berated them for earlier accusations from Bezos
- Bezos shared emails sent to him by an editor at the tabloid in which he is told nude photos will be published of him and Lauren Sanchez
- It's then suggested by Dylan Howard that photos will not be shared if a probe into whether the decision to out Bezos' affair was politically motivated stopped
- Bezos owns the Washington Post which murdered Jamal Khasshoghi worked for
- Bezos writes that the head of American Media, David Pecker, was 'apoplectic,' and said 'the Saudi angle in probe seems to hit a particularly sensitive nerve'
The Cincinnati Enquirer tweeted 'make it stop pls' to Jeff Bezos Thursday night after the local publication was mistaken by many for being the National Enquirer tabloid magazine.
It came after the Washington Post owner published a shocking letter that was sent to him by a National Enquirer boss threatening to publish nude photos of the Amazon billionaire if he did not back off claims that the decision to out the billionaire's affair with Lauren Sanchez was politically motivated.
With the Twitter handle @Enquirer, it's not the first time the Cincinnati Enquirer has been confused with the international publication and they have an August 2018 tweet stating 'we are not the National Enquirer' pinned to the top of their microblogging website page.
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Cincinnati Enquirer tweeted for help from Jeff Bezos Thursday night after they were confused for the National Enquirer magazine, which has happened in the past
The Twitter account posted mentioning the richest man in the world asking 'make it stop pls'
But after the Thursday allegations from Bezos, once again they were forced to clarify they're a different publication altogether and this time around looked to the richest man in the world for help.
It came as the 'National Enquirer' was a trending topic on Twitter and tweets flooded in such as: 'Going to @amazon right now to buy all my #ValentinesDay gifts. There is nothing I love more than my family than TRUTH!! People are not always perfect @JeffBezos but TRUTH will set you free.... and bring down the liars like @Enquirer.'
But who were aware of the mix-up contributed to the flurry of social media mentions with humorous replies, jokingly pretending they were just as clueless.
Expose exposed: Jeff Bezos has published emails sent to him by an editor at the National Enquirer in which he is told nude photos will be published of him and Lauren Sanchez (Sanchez and Bezos with her estranged husband Patrick Whitesell in 2016)
Many social media users berated them for earlier accusations from Amazon CEO Bezos
Some social media users were seen mentioning the wrong Twitter handling when chiming in
It forced the Cincinnati publication to retweet an earlier post about them not being the National Enquirer magazine
'Just checking, are you still not the National Enquirer?' one user wrote, to which the Cincinnati publication replied: 'Still not, Diego. Thanks for checking.'
Another person seemingly joked after the social media manager protested they were not affiliated with the National Enquirer: 'Blaming you for my late Amazon delivery today.'
It was claimed Thursday that in the email, American Media's Chief Content Officer Dylan Howard comments that 'with The Washington Post poised to publish unsubstantiated rumors of The National Enquirer’s initial report, I wanted to describe to you the photos obtained during our newsgathering.'
He then goes on to claim that the Enquirer has a 'd*** pic' sent by Bezos and a photo that shows Sanchez's 'nether region.'
After listing the images, Howard writes: 'It would give no editor pleasure to send this email. I hope common sense can prevail - and quickly.'
Bezos did respond quickly, by posting that letter and two others online.
Many social media users joked after the local publication joked there was confusion
The local publication joined in the banter from Twitter users who found the situation funny
They also shared an article about the National Enquirer story on social media after the mix-up
Some suggested the publication resolve the situation by changing their social media handle
The first email was sent on February 5, a proposed agreement was sent on February 6 and a third email was sent at an unknown date in response to a February 4 note sent by Bezos' lawyer Marty Singer to Howard.
These emails were sent just a few months after American Media agreed to fully cooperate with a Department of Justice investigation involving President Trump under penalty of law.
'Well, that got my attention. But not in the way they likely hoped. Any personal embarrassment AMI could cause me takes a back seat because there’s a much more important matter involved here,' explained Bezos in a post on Medium.
'If in my position I can’t stand up to this kind of extortion, how many people can?'
The images that the Enquirer has obtained, according to Howard, include:
- 'the "below the belt selfie"
- Mr. Bezos face selfie at what appears to be a business meeting; Ms. Sanchez response - a photograph of her smoking a cigar in what appears to be a simulated oral sex scene
- A shirtless Mr. Bezos holding his phone in his left hand — while wearing his wedding ring. He’s wearing either tight black cargo pants or shorts — and his semi-erect manhood is penetrating the zipper of said garment
- A full-length body selfie of Mr. Bezos wearing just a pair of tight black boxer-briefs or trunks, with his phone in his left hand — while wearing his wedding ring
- A selfie of Mr. Bezos fully clothed
- A full-length scantily-clad body shot with short trunks
- A naked selfie in a bathroom — while wearing his wedding ring. Mr. Bezos is wearing nothing but a white towel — and the top of his pubic region can be seen
- Ms. Sanchez wearing a plunging red neckline dress revealing her cleavage and a glimpse of her nether region
- Ms. Sanchez wearing a two-piece red bikini with gold detail dress revealing her cleavage.'
'These communications cement AMI’s long-earned reputation for weaponizing journalistic privileges, hiding behind important protections, and ignoring the tenets and purpose of true journalism,' wrote Bezos.
'Of course I don’t want personal photos published, but I also won’t participate in their well-known practice of blackmail, political favors, political attacks, and corruption. I prefer to stand up, roll this log over, and see what crawls out.'
Caveat: It is then suggested by Chief Content Officer Dylan Howard that these photos will not be shared if a probe into whether the decision to out Bezos' affair was politically motivated (Howard above)
In a subsequent email, an attorney for American Media outlines a proposed agreement, which was also published by Bezos.
The terms include:
- A full and complete mutual release of all claims that American Media, on the one hand, and Jeff Bezos and Gavin de Becker (the “Bezos Parties”), on the other, may have against each other.
- A public, mutually-agreed upon acknowledgment from the Bezos Parties, released through a mutually-agreeable news outlet, affirming that they have no knowledge or basis for suggesting that AM’s coverage was politically motivated or influenced by political forces, and an agreement that they will cease referring to such a possibility.
- AM agrees not to publish, distribute, share, or describe unpublished texts and photos (the “Unpublished Materials”).
- AM affirms that it undertook no electronic eavesdropping in connection with its reporting and has no knowledge of such conduct.
- The agreement is completely confidential.
- In the case of a breach of the agreement by one or more of the Bezos Parties, AM is released from its obligations under the agreement, and may publish the Unpublished Materials.
- Any other disputes arising out of this agreement shall first be submitted to JAMS mediation in California
Bezos writes that the head of American Media, David Pecker, was 'apoplectic,' and said 'the Saudi angle in probe seems to hit a particularly sensitive nerve'
The third and final email shared by Bezos was far more clear about the deal.
'As I advised previously, we stand by the legality of our newsgathering and reporting on this matter of public interest and concern. Moreover, American Media is undeterred from continuing its reporting on a story that is unambiguously in the public interest — a position Mr. Bezos clearly appreciates as reflected in Boies Schiller January 9 letter to American Media stating that your client “does not intend to discourage reporting about him” and “supports journalistic efforts,”' read the email.
'That said, if your client agrees to cease and desist such defamatory behavior, we are willing to engage in constructive conversations regarding the texts and photos which we have in our possession. Dylan Howard stands ready to discuss the matter at your convenience.'
Bezos has hired Gavin de Becker to look into who leaked the images and text messages he and Sanchez had exchanged over the past year.
In interviews with both The Daily Beast and The Washington Post, de Becker stated his belief that Sanchez's brother Michael could have leaked the information.
Michael is pro-Trump, friendly with both Roger Stone and Carter Page and learned about his sister's affair in April of last year.
Those facts came not from de Becker, but Michael himself in his own interview with the Post.
It was not who leaked the news, but why it was leaked that seemed to be of concern to David Pecker and American media, claims Bezos.
'Several days ago, an AMI leader advised us that Mr. Pecker is "apoplectic" about our investigation. For reasons still to be better understood, the Saudi angle seems to hit a particularly sensitive nerve,' explained Bezos.
'A few days after hearing about Mr. Pecker’s apoplexy, we were approached, verbally at first, with an offer. They said they had more of my text messages and photos that they would publish if we didn’t stop our investigation.'
Pecker's ties to President Trump and Saudi Arabia were detailed in an March 2018 report in The New York Times.
It all began with Pecker being introduced to Kacy Grine, a French businessman with strong ties to Saudi Arabia.
More specifically, according to the report, Grine 'acts as an intermediary between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Western businesses.'
That introduction was orchestrated by Ari Emanuel reported the Times.
That was a year before the affair between Bezos and Sanchez began, but it should be noted that Emanuel's business partner is Sanchez's estranged husband Patrick Whitesell.
Pecker and Grine reportedly discussed the business landscape in the Middle East, and soon the publisher began making investments in the region.
Pecker's ties to President Trump and Saudi Arabia were detailed in an March 2018 report in The New York Times. According to the report, French businessman Kacy Grine 'acts as an intermediary between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Western businesses'
The two men grew close, and when Pecker was invited to see his friend in the White House in July of 2017 he brought along Grine as his guest.
After meeting with the president and his son-in-law Jared Kushner, the group went to dinner according to the Times.
News of this meeting made its way back to Saudi Arabia, and Pecker was soon viewed as a businessman with an enormous amount of pull and power thanks to his ties to the current administration.
In September of that year, Pecker was in Saudi Arabia meeting with the Crown Prince.
That fact was ascertained thanks to a email exchange he had with Harvey Weinstein about purchasing Rolling Stone, a week before the disgraced mogul was outed as a sexual predator by the Times and New Yorker.
And in January, Pecker reportedly sought out Saudi investments in his attempt to purchase Time magazine per two sources.
That acquisition has always been a goal of Pecker's, and in 2013 Trump tweeted: 'David Pecker would be a brilliant choice as CEO of TIME Magazine — nobody could bring it back like David!'
American Media even published a glossy magazine promoting the country that sold for $13.99 and was 100 pages long with no advertisements called A New Kingdom.
The Associated Press later reported that the magazine 'was quietly shared with officials at the Saudi Embassy in Washington almost three weeks before its publication.'
That magazine made no mention of the human right violations in Saudi Arabia, which have been most closely covered and detailed by the Bezos-owned Washington Post.
That coverage has amplified considerably ever since the murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi, who was a columnist for the Post.
Khashoggi was murdered at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2 while trying to obtain paperwork for his upcoming marriage to a Turkish woman.
Bezos owns the Washington Post where murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khasshoghi worked
An investigation that was carried out by Turkish officials concluded that Khashoggi was killed by a team of 15 Saudis at the kingdom's diplomatic mission.
Saudi officials denied these reports for weeks, but after international outcry declared that the murder was the result of a "rogue" operation.
At the same time, officials in Riyadh denied allegations that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was involved in any way with the murder.
The New York Times reported on Thursday however that in a wire intercepted by America intelligence officials in 2017, the Crown Prince told an aide he would use 'a bullet' on the journalist if he did not return to the US and stop reporting on the country's violations of human rights.
US Intelligence believes that the Crown Prince ordered the murder, as do experts with the United Nations and a majority of both Republican and Democratic lawmakers in Washington DC.
President Trump meanwhile has declared very publicly that he stands by the Crown Prince.
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