National Enquirer says it will ‘thoroughly investigate’ allegations made by Jeff Bezos

Federal prosecutors will investigate a tabloid that exposed Jeff Bezos’ affair to determine if it breached an immunity agreement as the paper launches its own inquiry.

The National Enquirer’s parent company said on Friday that it “acted lawfully” in its coverage of Jeff Bezos — but said it would “thoroughly investigate” the Amazon CEO’s claims that the tabloid’s boss, David Pecker, tried to blackmail him with nude pictures.

More: World’s richest man accuses Aussie editor of blackmail

The CEO of American Media Inc, David Pecker. AMI has said it acted lawfully concerning coverage of Jeff Bezos. Picture: Thos Robinson /Getty Images/AFP

“American Media believes fervently that it acted lawfully in the reporting of the story of Mr. Bezos,” the company said in a statement according to the New York Post.

“Further, at the time of the recent allegations made by Mr. Bezos, it was in good faith negotiations to resolve all matters with him.”

The National Enquirer’s cover story on Jeff Bezos and all communications with him were said to be ‘in good faith” according to the magazine’s parent company. Picture: Supplied

“Nonetheless, in light of the nature of the allegations published by Mr. Bezos, the Board has convened and determined that it should promptly and thoroughly investigate the claims,” the statement continued.

“Upon completion of that investigation, the Board will take whatever appropriate action is necessary.”

INBOX: American Media responds to @JeffBezos pic.twitter.com/iclgWvn8QS

— Jon Levine (@LevineJonathan) February 8, 2019

On Thursday, Mr Bezos dropped bombshell allegations against the National Enquirer — accusing it of trying to blackmail him with nude selfies.

The billionaire alleged in a “Medium” post that the Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc., threatened to publish a nude photo of him and other lewd images they’d obtained if he did not stop investigating the tabloid’s recent exposure of his affair and publicly declare that its reporting on it had not been “politically motivated.”

Patrick Whitesell, Lauren Sanchez and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos. Bezos’s affair with Sanchez was exposed by the National Enquirer. Picture: Getty Images/Amazon Studios

RELATED: Jeff Bezos accuses tabloid of ‘extortion and blackmail’ in stunning blog post

Bezos on Thursday accused AMI of trying to blackmail him with the threat of publishing “intimate photos” he allegedly sent to his girlfriend unless he said in public that the supermarket tabloid’s reporting on him was not politically motivated.

Federal prosecutors are currently probing whether or not the National Enquirer’s handling of the Bezos story violated the co-operation deal and its “catch-and-kill” editorial policy qualifies as extortion.

— With the New York Post