A top editor at the National Enquirer ordered staff to shred all documents related to an alleged payoff from President Trump to “catch and kill” a story from a former Playmate about an alleged affair, according to a new book by Ronan Farrow.
In the week prior to the 2016 election, the Wall Street Journal contacted the National Enquirer for comment on a story alleging that the publication had paid a former Playmate, Karen McDougal, $150,000 for exclusive rights to a story about an affair between her and Trump. The Enquirer allegedly paid for the story and then never published it, protecting Trump in the process.
Farrow’s book, Catch and Kill, claims that editor Dylan Howard was “in a panic” searching for a shredder after speaking with the Wall Street Journal about the story with the intent of destroying any documents that could link Trump to the publication’s decision. The book claims documents about the arrangement had been housed in a safe, but following Howard’s orders “a Trump-related document from the safe, along with others in the Enquirer‘s possession, had been shredded.”
Howard denies he destroyed any documents in the wake of the Wall Street Journal‘s report.
In a statement, the National Enquirer‘s parent company American Media reaffirmed Howard’s denial, stating, “Mr. Farrow’s narrative is driven by unsubstantiated allegations from questionable sources and while these stories may be dramatic, they are completely untrue.”
Eventually, American Media received immunity in the investigation that followed, which analyzed this alleged “catch and kill” payment, as well as the payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels.
Farrow’s book has been causing chaos in many newsrooms, especially at NBC as it combats allegations that the leadership team ignored complaints about former host Matt Lauer’s alleged sexual misconduct.
