Jeff Bezos accuses National Enquirer's publisher of blackmail and extortion
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos says he was threatened with the publication of salacious pictures if he did not end an investigation into how the magazine acquired texts related to his divorce; Dan Springer reports from Seattle.
A security consultant for Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos believes the CEO’s intimate text messages may have been acquired by a "government entity," a reporter at the paper said Thursday.
Manuel Roig-Franzia, the reporter, told MSNBC that while reporters at the paper have not spoken to Bezos about the coverage, they have spoken "extensively" with his lead investigator, Gavin de Becker.
“They have begun to believe, the Bezos camp, that this publication by the National Enquirer might have been politically motivated,” said Roig-Franzia.
“Gavin de Becker told us that he does not believe that Jeff Bezos’ phone was hacked, he thinks it’s possible that a government entity might have gotten hold of his text messages,” he said.
Images of Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos were threatened to be released by AMI, Bezos alleged. (Getty)
The National Enquirer, published by American Media Inc. (AMI), put out a story last month that included lurid texts between Bezos and his reported girlfriend, former TV anchor Lauren Sanchez. Since then, private investigators for the billionaire have been looking into how the Enquirer got the texts. That set off, according to Bezos, a threat to back off or risk having the personal photos exposed.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Bezos posted a scathing letter to AMI on Thursday accusing the tabloid of threatening to publish “intimate photos” of him and Sanchez if he did not end an investigation into the company and its alleged political ties.
Fox News' Matt Richardson contributed to this report.
Get a daily look at what’s developing in science and technology throughout the world.