National Enquirer owner fined for illegal Trump campaign aid

A federal election watchdog fined the publisher of the National Enquirer $187,500 for a payment it made to keep under wraps a story about former President Donald Trump’s alleged affair with a former Playboy model

A federal election watchdog fined the publisher of the National Enquirer $187,500 for squelching the story of a former Playboy model who claimed she'd had an affair with former President Donald Trump. The Federal Election Commission fined A360 Media, formerly known as American Media, for paying Karen McDougal $150,000 in August 2016, saying the payment was made to keep her story from becoming public before the presidential election. The FEC said the publisher's “payment to Karen McDougal to purchase a limited life story right combined with its decision not to publish the story, in consultation with an agent of Donald J. Trump and for the purpose of influencing the election, constituted a prohibited corporate in-kind contribution.” Campaign finance laws prohibit corporations from cooperating with a campaign to affect an election.