nonprosecution

The tabloid’s involvement in the political sphere came fully to light in 2018, when its owner, American Media Inc., admitted to federal prosecutors, as part of a nonprosecution agreement, that it had aided the Trump campaign by publishing articles favorable to the candidate and burying stories that might make him look bad.

Among other evidence, jurors heard testimony about Cohen’s 2018 guilty to a campaign finance crime and the National Enquirer’s nonprosecution agreement and $187,500 fine for the McDougal payment, which the Federal Election Commission considered an illegal corporate contribution to Trump’s campaign.

The National Enquirer’s parent company, American Media Inc., entered into a nonprosecution agreement in exchange for its cooperation with prosecutors.

That later led to his company admitting it had tried to influence the election in a nonprosecution agreement with federal prosecutors in 2018.

American Media Inc. signed a nonprosecution agreement with the Justice Department in which it admitted paying McDougal to avoid her going public about her alleged affair and influencing the 2016 election.