Tabloid Will Pay FEC Fine for Hush-Money Payment

“The tabloid publishing company that paid $150,000 to a former Playboy model in 2016 to suppress her account of an alleged affair with Donald Trump, then a presidential candidate, has agreed to pay $187,500 to the Federal Election Commission to settle accusations that the company violated campaign finance law in making the payment,” the New York Times reports.

“The commission found that the firm, American Media Inc., and its former chief executive, David Pecker, had ‘knowingly and willfully’ violated campaign laws by secretly routing the $150,000 payment to the former model, Karen McDougal, in coordination with senior officials with the Trump campaign, including Michael D. Cohen, who served as Mr. Trump’s personal lawyer at the time.”