The WSJ is reporting this morning that the National Enquirer paid the brother of Jeff Bezos’ mistress $200,000 for those “racy texts”:

The inside story of how the National Enquirer got Jeff Bezos' racy texts: Its publisher paid $200,000 to the brother of the billionaire’s lover. https://t.co/pBtclaHtda — The Wall Street Journal (@WSJ) March 19, 2019

And down goes the Lib theory that it was Saudi hackers who did it to protect Donald Trump:

You mean it wasn't Saudi hackers? https://t.co/lsUHI1e3TS — Byron York (@ByronYork) March 19, 2019

Here are but a few of the blue checks who engaged in this particular conspiracy theory at the time:

As the mystery deepens of how the National Enquirer obtained Jeff Bezos’ private communications, I am reminded that Saudi Arabia (which has no love lost for the Washington Post) bought very sophisticated spy software from an Israeli company: https://t.co/XqcXzPMqDK — Max Boot (@MaxBoot) February 10, 2019

Two amazing stories just broke and both involve Saudi Arabia's political influence in this country. 1) Apparently National Enquirer/AMI blackmailed Bezos trying to protect its ties to SA 2) U.S, intel has proof that MBS wanted to kill Post's Khashoggi https://t.co/kgpjU66EDk — Will Bunch (@Will_Bunch) February 7, 2019

2 provocations from @jricole: Saudi collusion over Russian collusion?

And: "Did the NSA spy on Bezos at Trump’s request and then turn the material over to Pecker?"

Did the National Enquirer blackmail Amazon's Jeff Bezos to Protect the Saudi Crown Prince? https://t.co/8ftNGfXQFC — Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) February 8, 2019

Jeff Bezos alleges ties between Saudi Arabia and National Enquirer’s publisher, David Pecker, and it could all relate to the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi https://t.co/CTkQTa5aPi — Politics Insider (@Politicsinsider) February 8, 2019

. @jeffbezos reveals the National Enquirer basically threatened to run sexual images from texts unless he made a deal with them. Bezos says no and then some. He also notes a Saudi connection to AMI. https://t.co/OI4at7e33u — Richard Winton (@LAcrimes) February 7, 2019

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Related:

IMPEACH: Jeff Bezos moves to preempt publication of ‘intimate photos,’ and Trump is to blame how? https://t.co/j8BOVrViKV — Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) February 8, 2019