>>> IN THE ERA OF "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD" TAPES AND RUSSIAN
SPIES, IT’S GETTING HARDER AND
HARDER TO FIND SCANDALS THAT
LEAVE YOU SPEECHLESS.
GIVE 2019 CREDIT, AT LEAST IT’S
TRYING.
TRYING. THE RICHEST MAN ON THE PLANET
RISKING COMPLETE HUMILIATION BY
REFUSING TO GIVE INTO THE
DEMANDS OF A TRUMP-FRIENDLY
SUPERMARKET TABLOID AFTER
"NATIONAL ENQUIRER" PUBLISHED
EMBARRASSING TEXT MESSAGES AND
PHOTOS PUBLICIZING AMAZON CEO’S
JEFF BEZOS’S AFFAIR LAST MONTH.
BEZOS LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION
IN ORDER TO FIND OUT JUST HOW
THE TABLOID GOT AHOLD OF THAT
MATERIAL.
MATERIAL. HERE’S WHERE IT GETS CRAZY.
FAST FOR THE TO LAST NIGHT,
BEZOS IN A JAW-DROPPING BLOG
POST, REVEALED WHAT HE CALLED
EXTORTION AND BLACKMAIL ON THE
PART OF AMI, THE PARENT COMPANY
OF THE "NATIONAL ENQUIRER."
THEY PRIVATELY DEMANDED HE MAKE
A STATEMENT THAT HE HAD NO
KNOWLEDGE OR BASIS FOR
SUGGESTING AMI’S COVERAGE OF HIS
AFFAIR WAS POLITICALLY MOTIVATED
OR INFLUENCED BY POLITICAL
FORCES.
FORCES. OR THEY WOULD RELEASE TEN NEW
EMBARRASSING PHOTOS, INCLUDING
ONES HE’S SAID TO BE NAKED.
WOW, 2019, YOU’RE KILLING ME.
INSTEAD OF BOWING TO THEIR
COMMANDS, BEZOS PUBLISHED THE
E-MAILS.
E-MAILS. IN RESPONSE AMI SAID IT WOULD
INVESTIGATE, SAYING IT ACTED
LAWFULLY IN THE REPORTING OF MR.
BEZOS AND AT THE TIME OF THE
RECENT ALLEGATIONS MADE BY MR.
BEZOS IT WAS IN GOOD FAITH
NEGOTIATIONS TO RESOLVE ALL
MATTERS WITH HIM.
COMPLICATING MATTERS FURTHER
THOUGH IS THIS REVELATION FROM
"THE WASHINGTON POST" REPORTER
HAVING TO DO WITH BEZOS’
INVESTIGATOR.
INVESTIGATOR. >> HE DOES NOT BELIEVE JEFF
BEZOS’ PHONE WAS HACKED.
HE THINKS IT’S POSSIBLE THAT A
GOVERNMENT ENTITY MIGHT HAVE
GOTTEN HOLD OF HIS TEXT
MESSAGES.
MESSAGES. >> WHICH GOVERNMENT ENTITY?
WE DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT
QUESTION.
QUESTION. BUT AFTER BEZOS DETAILED AMI’S
RELATIONSHIP WITH SAUDI ARABIA
IN HIS BLOG POST LAST NIGHT,
FORMER CIA DIRECTOR JOHN BRENNAN
THEORIZED, QUOTE -- I HAVE NO
DOUBT GIVEN "THE WASHINGTON
POST’S" RELENTLESS AND
APPROPRIATE CONDOM NATION OF
MOHAMMAD BIN SALMAN FOR THE
KILLING OF KHASHOGGI, MBS WOULD
TRY TO DISCREDIT, EMBARRASS AND
HURT BEZOS FMINANCIALLY IF HE
COULD.
COULD. WHAT A MESS.
JOINING US AT THE CONVERSATION
THE PERFECT PERSON TO UNTANGLE
THIS WEB, THE POLITICAL DIRECTOR
OF "THE ROOT."
HAVE ON IT.
>> THIS IS A HOUSE OF CARDS
GOING ON.
GOING ON. >> PEOPLE GOT TOO MUCH TIME.
>> TOO MUCH TIME.
IF THERE’S ANYBODY WHO I
BELIEVE, AND GENERALLY BE WOULD
BE SKEPTICAL OF SOME SUPER DUPER
OLIGARCH LIKE JEFF BEZOS BUT IF
THERE’S ANYBODY WHO WHO KNOW THE
TECHNOLOGY BEHIND HOW HIS PHONE
WOULD BE HACKED, IT WOULD BE
HIM.
HIM. HE HAS TECHNOLOGY AND ACCESS TO
THE PEOPLE WITH THESE RESOURCES.
I DON’T THINK THAT’S A FLIMSY
CAME HE MADE.
HE BELIEVES, LOOK, NOBODY IS
GOING TO GET INTO MY PHONE, THIS
MUST BE A GOVERNMENT-LEVEL
AGENCY.
AGENCY. >> AND HE HIRED VEPGTER
INVESTIGATORS.
INVESTIGATORS. AND IS IT ALSO SPEAKS ABOUT THIS
PRESIDENT AS A WHOLE, WHETHER
IT’S PRESIDENT TRUMP, SAUDI
ARABIA OR HIS RELATIONSHIPS WITH
THESE DICTATORS NON-DEMOCRATIC
COUNTRIES HIS HOSTILITIES AND
DECENT FOR AMERICA ARE THANK RS
AND JEFF BEZOS, THAT’S THE ZAIRY
PART, NOT A BUNCH OF PICS ENDING
UP ON "TMZ" OR "NATIONAL
ENQUIRER."
ENQUIRER." >> FRANK, CAN YOU JUMP IN, I
THINK ONE OF THE PROBLEMS AMI
FACES IS IT’S ALL SO PLAUSIBLE.
IT’S SO PLAUSIBLE TO ANYONE WITH
A TELEVISION OR THAT EVEN A
CASUAL OBSERVER OF THE NEWS, THE
PEZ’S
PEZ’S PRESIDENT’S CLOSEST MEDIA ALLY
TRIED TO BLACKMAIL AND DISTORT
IN THE PRESIDENT’S MIND BIGGEST
MEDIA NEMESIS.
MEDIA NEMESIS. >> YEAH, IT’S VERY EASY TO
BELIEVE.
BELIEVE. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT’S THE STAIR
OF
OF -- STATE OF AFFAIRS TODAY.
A LOT OF NUANCES HERE.
YOU DESCRIBED THE STATUTORY
ELEMENTS OF EXTORTION IN A
FEDERAL STATUTE.
FEDERAL STATUTE. IS THE FBI GETTING CALLED IN?
HAS BEZOS FILED A COMPLAINT?
IS THE FBI GOING TO LOOK AT AMI
NOW AS A SUBJECT?
DO WE NEED TO GO BACK AND LOOK
AT THE COOPERATION AGREEMENT
THAT DAVID PECKER AT AMI SIGNED
OFF ON?
OFF ON? WAS IT TRANSACTIONAL IMMUNITY?
WAS IT WE’RE GIVING YOU BLANKET
IMMUNITY AS PART OF A
COOPERATION AGREEMENT?
COOPERATION AGREEMENT? THIS IS A NEW CRIME THAT’S BEING
EXPOSED, AND MY THOUGHT IS THIS
WILL LIKELY BE PROSECUTED, AND I
THINK AMI IS IN DEEP TROUBLE.
LATER ON TOP OF THIS, THIS
INTERNATIONAL INTRIGUE OF BEZOS
POSSIBLY HAVING HIS PHONE HACKED
INTO, VERY PLAUSIBLE IN MY
CAREER.
CAREER. IN MY CAREER IN CORPORATE
SECURITY, AND MY CAREER IN THE
FBI, I CAN TELL YOU SOMEONE LIKE
BEZOS IS A TARGET.
AND WHEREVER HIS DEVICES GO,
THEY ARE BEING HACKED INTO.
SO IS IT POSSIBLE THAT SOME
FOREIGN POWER GOT AHOLD OF HIS
EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR-RELATED
EXTRAMARITAL AFFAIR-RELATED TEXTS AND/OR E-MAILS AND CALLS
AND PROVIDED THEM TO AMI?
LET’S LAYER ANOTHER QUESTION
SINCE WE’RE ENGAGING IN POSSIBLE
CONJECTURE, DID THE WHITE HOUSE
KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AMI
EXTORTING BEZOS?
EXTORTING BEZOS? DID ANY OF THIS COME UP IN
CONVERSATION?
CONVERSATION? THIS ADDS ANOTHER CRIMINAL
ELEMENT, AND CONTINUES OUR
ORGANIZED CRIME THEME OF THE
DAY, WHICH IS THAT WE’RE
ESSENTIALLY DEALING WITH A
RACKETEERING ENTERPRISE.
RACKETEERING ENTERPRISE. >> LET ME PUT UP THE PRESIDENT’S
TWEET ON THESE TOPICS BECAUSE
IT’S GERMANE TO THE CONVERSATION
WE’RE HAVING.
WE’RE HAVING. I THINK THE PRESIDENT JUST LAST
MONTH TWEETED, SO SORRY TO HEAR
THE NEWS ABOUT JEFF BOZO BEING
TAKEN DOWN BY A COMPETITOR,
WHO’S REPORTING.
WHO’S REPORTING. THE IDEA THE IDEA OF THE
COMPETITOR IS "THE WASHINGTON
POST" IS SAVED FOR ANOTHER SHOW
BUT ANOTHER UNWELCOMED WINDOW
INTO TRUMP’S MIND.
IS MORE ACCURATE THAN HIS
LOBBYIST NEWSPAPER, THE AMAZON
"THE WASHINGTON POST."
HOPEFULLY THE NEWSPAPER WILL BE
PLACED IN BETTER, MORE
RESPONSIBLE HANDS.
RESPONSIBLE HANDS. THEIR OBSESSION WITH "THE
WASHINGTON POST" IS AN OPEN
SECRET.
SECRET. THEY’RE OBSESSED WITH WHAT THEY
VIEW AS UNFAIR.
EVEN MORE SO THAN IN "THE NEW
YORK TIMES," WHICH HE CALLS THE
FAILING "THE NEW YORK TIMES,"
HE’S CONSTANTLY SUCKING UP TO
THAT PAPER’S PUBLISHER.
I WANT A NICE STORY.
THEY’RE OBSESSED WITH "THE
WASHINGTON POST."
WASHINGTON POST." AND THE IDEA HE DIRECTED A HUSH
MONEY SCHEME AND HE HAD MICHAEL
COHEN AND AMI INVOLVED IN THAT.
THE IDEA HE WOULD DIRECT A SMEAR
CAMPAIGN WITH THE SAME CHARACTER
IS BEYOND PLAUSIBLE.
>> DOES HE EVEN NEED TO DIRECT
IT?
IT? SO MANY TIMES WE’VE SEEN THE
TWEET AND PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE
PRESIDENT AND WANT TO ACT ON HIS
BEHALF CAN PICK UP THE SIGNAL.
IT’S NOT EVEN THAT HARD TO
DECIPHER.
DECIPHER. I FIND LIKE THE LAYERS OF THIS
STORY SO CRAZY.
FIRST OF ALL, THEY WOULD PUT IN
WRITING THE THINGS THEY PUT IN
WRITING.
WRITING. >> YES.
>> YES. >> AND I KNOW CHUCK ROSENBERG
HAS SAID TO ME BEFORE, CRIMINALS
AREN’T NECESSARILY SMART.
SO THEY PUT THINGS LIKE THIS IN
WRITING.
WRITING. BUT THE THINGS THEY WROTE -- AND
THEN YOU HAVE BEZOS, WHO DECIDES
TO KIND OF FLIP THE SCRIPT AND
SHINE A LOT ON THIS BEHAVIOR,
WHICH IS FASCINATING.
AND THERE’S A WHOLE OTHER
ELEMENT TO IT IN TERMS OF WHO
ELSE HAVE THEY DONE THIS TO?
AND BEZOS IS IN POSITION WHERE
HE CAN STAND UP TO THIS SORT OF
BEHAVIOR.
BEHAVIOR. SO THERE’S THAT CULTURE ASPECT
TO IT.
TO IT. AND THEN THERE’S THE QUESTION OF
THE AMI AGREEMENT.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> THE AGREEMENT THEY CAN’T
COMMIT CRIMES FOR THREE YEARS.
NOW THEY’RE REVIEWING THE
AGREEMENT.
AGREEMENT. >> THEY LIKE TO BE GRADED ON A
SCALE.
SCALE. BUT LET’S PLAY NICE.
AMI IS IN A COOPERATION
AGREEMENT WITH FEDERAL
PROSECUTORS TO HELP THEM UNEARTH
AND PROSECUTE THE HUSH MONEY
CONSPIRACY THEORY AND THEY’RE
NOT SUPPOSED TO COMMIT ANY MORE
CRIMES.
CRIMES. >> THEY’RE GIVEN AN ESSENTIAL
PASS, IMMUNITY IN THE FIRST
INSTANCE AND THE TERMS OF THAT
AGREEMENT SAY THEY CAN’T COMMIT
CRIMINAL WRONGDOING WITHIN A
CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
IF THEY WERE TO BE VIOLATED --
THIS TOTALLY PUTS THAT AGREEMENT
AT RISK.
AT RISK. >> NEVER HAVE I SEEN SO MANY
PEOPLE HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME NOT
COMMITTING CRIMES FOR TEN
MINUTES, TEN MINUTES.
>> I I WANT TO JUMP IN BECAUSE
THE DAILY BEAST HAS DONE A LOT
OF REPORTING ON THIS, SOME OF
STUFF WELL BEFORE BEZOS CAME OUT
WITH HIS OWN POST.
WOULD I PUMP THE BRAKES A TINY
BITP ON
BITP ON BIT THE GOVERNMENT ENTITY HACKED
IT.
IT. BUT THERE’S A GROUP OF UNSAVORY
CHARACTERS WORTH NOTING.
HERE’S THE NEXUS, BEZOS’ NOW
GIRLFRIEND, HER BROTHER IS
MICHAEL SANCHEZ.
MICHAEL SANCHEZ. HE’S BEING LOOKED AT AS PART OF
THE BEZOS’ TEAM INTERNAL
INVESTIGATION.
INVESTIGATION. MICHAEL SANCHEZ HAS CONNECTIONS
TO A VARIETY OF WEIRD TRUMP OLD
FIGURES, AMONG THEM ROGER STONE.
WE REACHED OUT TO ROGER STONE
FOR OUR PIECE IN REPORTING IT.
HE DENIED HACKING BEZOS’ PHONE
BUT WHAT WAS WEIRD ABOUT HIS
DENIAL IS WE NEVER ASKED HIM IF
HE HACKED BEZOS’ PHONE.
HE CAME OUT AND SAID, I DIDN’T
HACK THE PHONE.
THAT WAS A PARTICULARLY BIZARRE
QUOTE.
QUOTE. >> THIS IS A STORY YOU’RE
RUNNING TONIGHT?
RUNNING TONIGHT? >> THIS IS A STORY WE ALREADY
RAN.
RAN. TODAY WE’RE LOOKING INTO WHAT I
THINK A WELL-KNOWN HISTORY OF
AMI OF USING THINGS LIKE
EXTORTION AND BLACKMAIL TO GET
THESE TYPES OF STORIES.
IT IS CRAZY THAT WE FINALLY ARE
GETTING A CLEAR VIEW OF IT,
THANKS TO JEFF BEZOS ACTUALLY
POSTING ABOUT IT.
BUT HE’S NOT THE ONLY VICTIM OF