National Enquirer publisher David Pecker was subpoenaed by federal authorities investigating President Donald Trump's former lawyer Michael Cohen, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Specifically, authorities are looking for records related to the publication's $150,000 payment made to a former Playboy model who claims to have had a 10-month affair with Trump that ended in 2007. The National Enquirer in 2006 acquired the rights to Karen McDougal's story about Trump – which it never ran – in return for $150,000 and commitments to use the magazine to promote her current career as a fitness specialist.
McDougal sued American Media, Inc., the parent company of the Enquirer, and she settled in April, freeing her to speak publicly about the alleged affair.
Cohen is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York for possible campaign finance law violations and improper lobbying activities.
Investigators are looking into whether Cohen attempted to suppress damaging information about Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, including whether he worked with American Media to pay McDougal. Pecker has touted publicly he is a longtime friend of Trump and Cohen's.
American Media has denied paying McDougal to suppress her story.
"American Media Inc., has, and will continue to, comply with any and all requests that do not jeopardize or violate its protected sources or materials pursuant to our first amendment rights," a company spokesman said in an emailed statement to the Journal.
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