A former senior editor at American Media Inc. told CNN that Chairman and CEO David Pecker has a long history of killing negative stories about President Donald Trump to curry his favor.



Per CNN, the editor, Jerry George, worked for AMI, publisher of The National Enquirer, for 28 years before being laid off in 2013. He said that while he has no personal knowledge of the recently reported episode where AMI allegedly bought and killed former Trump Tower doorman Dino Sajudin’s story about Trump’s illegitimate child, it fits the broader trend at the company.

George reportedly said that Pecker, a longtime friend of Trump’s, would routinely quash any story that cast the then-businessman and reality television host in an unflattering light. Pecker would also sometimes require that pitches be run by Trump Organization officials. George added that Pecker liked to point out to Trump the favors that he did for him, and that Trump recognized Pecker’s loyalty, tweeting that he should be named editor of Time Magazine.

According to CNN, AMI rebutted these claims, saying that Sajudin’s story died when reporters found it to be false. A statement from the company reportedly added that they “emphatically deny any suggestion that there might have been be any ‘partnership’ created which might influence any business ties in regard to AMI.”