National Enquirer Paid $30,000 to Former Trump Doorman for 'Love Child' Story That Never Ran

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The National Inquirer in late 2015 paid a former Trump World Tower doorman $30,000 for the rights to a “rumor he’d heard about Trump’s sex life” — and then never ran a story, according to the Associated Press.

Dino Sajudin told the Enquirer that he had heard that Trump, then a candidate for the presidency, had fathered a secret love child 29 years ago with an employee, according to National Inquirer sister publication Radar Online. The unidentified woman vehemently denied she had an affair with Trump to the AP and the New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow, who also published a report about the payment.

Radar first reported that Sajudin was paid the fee in late 2015 for his story and then never published a story. The AP has confirmed the payment was made.

“The Associated Press confirmed the details of the Enquirer’s payment through a review of a confidential contract and interviews with dozens of current and former employees of the Enquirer and its parent company, American Media Inc.,” the AP wrote on Thursday. “Sajudin got $30,000 in exchange for signing over the rights, ‘in perpetuity,’ to a rumor he’d heard about Trump’s sex life — that the president had fathered a child with an employee at Trump World Tower, a skyscraper he owns near the United Nations.”

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Sajudin was subject to a $1 million penalty if he disclosed either the rumor or the terms of the deal, per the AP’s investigation.

Update: Sajudin released a statement on Thursday, obtained by CNN producer Sonia Moghe, in which he said he was “instructed not to criticize President Trump’s former housekeeper due to a prior relationship she had with President Trump which produced a child.” These instructions were dispatched to him when he worked at Trump World Tower, he said.

The former TT doorman stands by his story of Trump’s alleged affair. pic.twitter.com/QkY8RBfYnB

— Sonia Moghe (@soniamoghe) April 12, 2018

Enquirer Editor-In-Chief Dylan Howard defended the payment as well as the decision not to publish, saying that its reporters had failed to substantiate the story.

“When we realized we would be unable to publish, and other media outlets approached the source about his tale, we released Sajudin from the exclusivity clause that had accompanied his $30,000 payment, freeing him to tell his story to whomever he wanted,” Howard told Radar. “Many organizations have since tried … including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Associated Press.”

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“The latest is Ronan Farrow from The New Yorker, who is calling our staff, and seems to think this is another example of how The Enquirer, by supposedly ‘catching and killing’ stories about President Trump is a threat to national security,” Howard continued. “We’re flattered by this attention, and wish that it were true. Unfortunately, however, Dino Sajudin is one fish that swam away.”

“A disconcerting view of the level of hysteria and partisanship in American politics that not reporting a story, that multiple media outlets have now also confirmed to be untrue, has become headline news,” Howard said in a statement issued Thursday.

In its own statement, AMI also “categorically” denied that Trump or his attorney Michael Cohen “had anything to do with its decision not to pursue a story about a ‘love child’ that it determined was not credible. The suggestion that David Pecker has ever used company funds to ‘shut down’ this or any investigation is not true.”

Also Read: Ronan Farrow on Enquirer's Ties to Trump: 'They Can Hold This Story Over the President'

The White House did not immediately respond to TheWrap‘s request for comment on this story.

The story comes amid renewed attention on AMI and Trump, including a federal inquiry into the company relationship with Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen, whose offices were raided by the FBI on Monday.

Laura Ingraham's 8 Biggest Feuds, from David Hogg to LeBron James (Photos)

Laura Ingraham lost eight sponsors from her Fox News show this week after criticizing Parkland shooting survivor and activist David Hogg. And it's not even the first time she's been at the center of a public feud this year. Here are several recent instances where Ingraham has taken to Twitter or to the air and stirred national attention.
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David Hogg

On March 28, Ingraham tweeted, "David Hogg by Rejected Four Colleges To Which He Applied and whines about it." Hogg then called for a boycott of 12 companies that advertise on Ingraham's show. Eight sponsors in all, Hulu, TripAdvisor, Wayfair, Nutrish, Expedia, Stitch Fix, Johnson & Johnson and Nestle pulled their ads from “The Ingraham Angle.” Ingraham issued an apology, but didn't address the topic on her show and hasn't yet deleted her original tweet. Hogg then told CNN that he plans to put even more pressure on Ingraham and others. “The fact that they’re going after us personally shows that what we’re doing is working. We have them scared and now we have to go even harder,” Hogg said.
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LeBron James

When NBA stars LeBron James and Kevin Durant made some anti-Trump remarks during an interview with ESPN's Cari Champion, Ingraham called James's comments "ignorant" and said, "You’re great players; no one voted for you. Millions elected Trump to be their coach. So keep the political commentary to yourself, or as someone once said, ‘shut up and dribble.'” Her statement earned a strong response from James, even though he said he didn't even know Ingraham's name. “I will not just shut up and dribble,” the Cleveland Cavaliers player said. “So, thank you, whatever her name is … I get to sit up here and talk about what’s really important and how I can help change kids." Ingraham issued a statement that there was no racial intent behind her words and that she has used the expression telling entertainers to "Shut Up" frequently in the past.
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Hillary Clinton

While speaking at the Republican National Convention, Ingraham was criticized for appearing to give the Nazi salute after her speech. She then dragged Hillary Clinton into the controversy, tweeting a collage of photos of Clinton also extending her hand in a similar fashion. "It's Hillary ... hands down!" "Duh … it’s a satiric response to the left-wing criticism of Laura’s wave last night. Desperate liberals,” Ingraham tweeted.
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Paul Ryan

Back in 2015 when Paul Ryan was being considered to be Speaker of the House, he said he would accept the job on the condition that "family comes first." "I cannot and I will not give up my family time," Ryan said. Ingraham tweeted, but later deleted, a criticism saying, "like no one has ever sacrificed family time to serve the country?" "Our country is in a crisis and we need Republican leaders willing to unconditionally offer their service to the country," she added in a separate tweet.
(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Mika Brzezinski

Engaged hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough have a habit of getting flirty on "Morning Joe," and Ingraham finds it hilarious. On Feb. 8, Sean Hannity prepared to hand off the time Ingraham when she started twirling her hair, lilting her voice and doing her best flirty Brzenzski impression. “What, what Sean, you’re always right. No you’re always right. You. Are. Always. Right. I mean, really,” Ingraham said.
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Ed Schultz

Ingraham didn't start this fight. The MSNBC personality called Ingraham a "right-wing slut" on his radio show, a comment that earned him a week-long suspension from MSNBC. He apologized and called his comments "vile and inappropriate," and Ingraham accepted his apology. She even joked that Schultz used to be conservative. "We'll welcome you back with open arms," she said.
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Donald Trump

In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, Ingraham critiqued the president for leaving much of his executive branch understaffed. “We can all look at these horrific pictures, and we can conclude that a federal government does need staff," Ingraham said. Trump, a frequent viewer of "Fox & Friends," heard Ingraham's criticism of his administration loud and clear and responded to her directly on Twitter. "We are not looking to fill all of those positions. Don't need many of them — reduce size of government,” Trump tweeted.
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Shepard Smith

Fox News anchor Shepard Smith gave some pointed criticism to his colleagues, telling Time that he knows some of Fox's opinion shows are "strictly to be entertaining." "I don’t work there. I wouldn’t work there. I don’t want to sit around and yell at each other and talk about your philosophy and my philosophy. That sounds horrible to me.” Both Sean Hannity and Ingraham took issue with Smith's comments. "Always liked Shep, but his comments were inconsiderate & inaccurate. The hard working team at the Ingraham Angle does real reporting, develops impt sources and scores big interviews. Very proud of them," she tweeted.

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Host of “The Ingraham Angle” has also critiqued Paul Ryan, Donald Trump and Shepard Smith

Laura Ingraham lost eight sponsors from her Fox News show this week after criticizing Parkland shooting survivor and activist David Hogg. And it's not even the first time she's been at the center of a public feud this year. Here are several recent instances where Ingraham has taken to Twitter or to the air and stirred national attention.

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