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Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

nytimes.com

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Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#171

Post by tptacek »

thaumasiotes wrote: post #168
tptacek wrote: post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

See response below. Renato Mariotti is an expert, as is Ken White, who concurs (and also provides a further analysis of the case law on this).

I'm quoting from Renato Mariotti's thread here: > 10/ What is extortion? Typically it's when someone demands money in exchange for keeping something embarrassing private. While we ordinarily have a First Amendment right to say whatever we please, it can be a crime to threaten to say something unless money is paid. > 15/ To make this out as an extortion case, prosecutors would have to argue that the claims Bezos had a…

You've left out the tweet immediately preceding 15:

14/ Was AMI's action slimy? Yes.

Is it consistent with some of the questionable practices that AMI engaged in on behalf of Trump and others? Yes.

But is this the sort of case federal prosecutors would charge as extortion? No.

Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#172

Post by nyolfen »

sytelus wrote: post #159
nyolfen wrote: post #117

Earlier quoted context omitted.

the justice department certainly can in fact kill it

It takes less than an hour of paperwork to spin a new business entity that is exactly the same as old. Bankruptcy laws limits financial losses for owners. Entities like AMI are often set up in a way so such financial losses would be negligible, if any.

it's pretty difficult when you're in prison

Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#173

Post by tptacek »

comex wrote: post #170
tptacek wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

https://twitter.com/renato_mariotti/status/10936583665834229...

> 15/ To make this out as an extortion case, prosecutors would have to argue that the claims Bezos had against AMI constituted "money or property" of Bezos and that the whole settlement proposal was merely window dressing for the extortion of Bezos by AMI. I’m not sure what they’re quoting from, but the New York law I quoted is not limited to attempts to obtain “money or property”. One federal law that might otherwis…

Coercion is a misdemeanor.

Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#174

Post by thaumasiotes »

tptacek wrote: post #171
thaumasiotes wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm quoting from Renato Mariotti's thread here: > 10/ What is extortion? Typically it's when someone demands money in exchange for keeping something embarrassing private. While we ordinarily have a First Amendment right to say whatever we please, it can be a crime to threaten to say something unless money is paid. > 15/ To make this out as an extortion case, prosecutors would have to argue that the claims Bezos had a…

You've left out the tweet immediately preceding 15: 14/ Was AMI's action slimy? Yes. Is it consistent with some of the questionable practices that AMI engaged in on behalf of Trump and others? Yes. But is this the sort of case federal prosecutors would charge as extortion? No.

I already said that AMI's conduct does not appear to be federal blackmail. I didn't look at federal extortion at all.

But I'm making a claim about the law of Washington, not federal law.

Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#175

Post by comex »

tptacek wrote: post #173
comex wrote: post #170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 15/ To make this out as an extortion case, prosecutors would have to argue that the claims Bezos had against AMI constituted "money or property" of Bezos and that the whole settlement proposal was merely window dressing for the extortion of Bezos by AMI. I’m not sure what they’re quoting from, but the New York law I quoted is not limited to attempts to obtain “money or property”. One federal law that might otherwis…

Coercion is a misdemeanor.

That is true, but felonies and misdemeanors are both considered crimes. Thus it would fit your mention of “criminal” behavior, as well as – more importantly – the clause in the non-prosecution agreement that waives it “should AMI commit any crimes”.

Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#176

Post by lxmorj »

ggm wrote: post #141
the_reformation wrote: post #135

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So you expect all customers to accept higher prices because of the community aesthetic you personally enjoy more?

Yes. I think I do. Which is at the heart of any tax discussion: So you expect all local citizens to accept higher taxes because of the community utility function you expect everyone to contribute to What you're driving to, is that get off my goddam lawn and I drive over the border to buy cheaper and screw the lot of you get off my lawn is really fine.. except it isn't. Its pretty sad. But sure, its legal, go for it,…

It's a super inefficient mechanism. You're better off having everyone save a bit by buying from Walmart, and be able to afford to go out to dinner once a month - instead of never.

Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#177

Post by aswanson »

nyolfen wrote: post #167
debt wrote: post #149

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apparently you didn’t read his post: Exhibit A: “My ownership of the Washington Post is a complexifier for me. It’s unavoidable that certain powerful people who experience Washington Post news coverage will wrongly conclude I am their enemy. President Trump is one of those people, obvious by his many tweets. ” Exhibit B: “In the AMI letters I’m making public, you will see the precise details of their extortionate pro…

i did read his post, and you're trying to slip a couple of huge assumptions in there. again, nothing you quoted implies that trump or his people were behind this. the simpler (and to me obvious) read of what he said is that the enquirer is an ally of trump and has interests aligned with his. saying "trump considers me an enemy" is also just a slightly obfuscated way of saying "i'm trustworthy" to about half the count…

Trump has named bezos directly as an enemy in more than one tweet and has denigrated Amazon &the Washington Post directly because they are Bezos-owned entities and has said as much. Cut the bullshit.

Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#178

Post by threatofrain »

ggm wrote: post #90

I can relate to a plague on both their houses but it is important to worry a bit about 'law of unintended consequences' effects. Bezos is going to get something ordinary mortals cannot, (redress) because of his money. So he isn't a champion for fundamental rights against press abuse, he's a champion for millionaires rights. A real win here is for a global press industry to adopt redress measures ordinary people can u…

How do the economics of small towns work anyway, in relation to the larger national and international economy?

Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#179

Post by thaumasiotes »

comex wrote: post #175
tptacek wrote: post #173

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Coercion is a misdemeanor.

That is true, but felonies and misdemeanors are both considered crimes. Thus it would fit your mention of “criminal” behavior, as well as – more importantly – the clause in the non-prosecution agreement that waives it “should AMI commit any crimes”.

As I point out sidethread, the same behavior is a felony in Washington, and it seems pretty likely off the top of my head that a Washington court could exercise jurisdiction over a national tabloid committing a Washington state felony against a resident of Washington.

Re: Jeff Bezos Accuses National Enquirer of Blackmail

#180

Post by manigandham »

ggm wrote: post #90

I can relate to a plague on both their houses but it is important to worry a bit about 'law of unintended consequences' effects. Bezos is going to get something ordinary mortals cannot, (redress) because of his money. So he isn't a champion for fundamental rights against press abuse, he's a champion for millionaires rights. A real win here is for a global press industry to adopt redress measures ordinary people can u…

>> Its lovely to be able to buy anything.

Yea, that's why people do it. This is what consumers want and they voted with their wallets. If it wasn't Bezos then it would've been someone else. I'm sure you know Walmart? It has half a trillion in revenues and has been wiping out small stores before Amazon even existed.

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