National Enquirer parent company paid $30K for rumor about Trump, ultimately withheld story

The parent company of the National Enquirer reportedly paid a former doorman at one of President Trump’s buildings $30,000 for a rumor about Trump.

The publication ultimately spiked the story, according to The Associated Press.

The AP reported that American Media Inc. (AMI) gave Dino Sajudin $30,000 to gain rights “in perpetuity” regarding a rumor the ex-doorman had heard.

{mosads}If Sajudin went public with the information or with information about the agreement, he could be subject to a $1 million penalty, according to the AP.

Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, told the news service he had spoken about the rumor with the magazine when it was reportedly working on it. He said he did not know about the publication’s payment.

The Enquirer reportedly decided the rumor wasn’t true and released the ex-doorman from the contract after the 2016 presidential election after inquiries were made about the payment, according to the AP.

Dylan Howard, the Enquirer’s top editor and an AMI executive, said he decided the story “lacked any credibility” and decided not to run it.

“Unfortunately … Dino Sajudin is one fish that swam away,” Howard told RadarOnline, an Enquirer sister publication, on Wednesday.

The development follows a report last month that former Playboy model Karen McDougal sued AMI so she could break her silence about an alleged affair she had with Trump.

AMI paid her $150,000 for her story about the alleged affair and then withheld it from publication, according to The New York Times.

McDougal alleges she was misled by AMI and her lawyers at the time about the deal.

The FBI reportedly sought documents related to that payment earlier this week when agents raided Cohen’s office, home and hotel room.

Cohen is being investigated for possible tax fraud and bank fraud as well as campaign finance violations, according to The Washington Post.