Democratic Donor Ron Burkle in Talks to Buy National Enquirer: NYT
CHANGING HANDS
American Media Inc. is in talks to sell the National Enquirer to California billionaire investor Ronald Burkle, The New York Times reports. Burkle is a Democratic donor with close ties to former President Bill Clinton. The sell could be unwelcome by fans of the tabloid in Washington, D.C., notably President Trump, who has publicly praised the Enquirer. The tabloid has been hit by multiple scandals related to President Trump and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. It reportedly paid for photographic evidence of Bezos’ affair, and Bezos himself accused AMI of attempting to extort him over the story. The high-stakes deal to sell the publication could still fall apart, according to people familiar with the private negotiations. Burkle specializes in buying distressed companies to flip them for a profit, and made his fortune buying and selling supermarkets in California.