Jeff Bezos Exposed The National Enquirer! Amazon Might Flee NYC!

Amazon CEO tried to get blackmailed by the National Enquirer. His second Amazon facility might rethink its decision to mark New York City as its location.

Two big stories in the junk food media.

The CEO of Amazon, Inc and The Washington Post has came forth with allegations that AMI, the company that owns the National Enquirer tried to blackmail him. He wrote on Medium about his encounter with AMI and its CEO David Pecker.

David Pecker is under federal watch and took an immunity to stay out of federal time out. His company's antics have actually put him in the crosshairs of the federal investigators.

I’ve written a post about developments with the National Enquirer and its parent company, AMI. You can find it here: https://t.co/G1ykJAPPwy

— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) February 7, 2019

In the posting, Bezos said that AMI contacted him through his lawyer. He said that they have pictures of him and his current girlfriend Lauren Sanchez. They threatened to embarrass him with these pictures.

They wanted him to have The Washington Post to kill a story about Pecker.

Pecker is accused of paying off Karen McDougal and Stormy Daniels. The two accused Donald J. Trump of having affairs while Melania Trump was pregnant with their son.

Pecker may lose his immunity for this.

Also Amazon is reconsidering its headquarters in New York City. Thanks to the power of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), many New Yorkers are starting to have strong doubts about the facility.

CNN is reporting that Amazon is said to be reconsidering its plans to open up a new campus in New York City's Long Island City neighborhood after facing backlash from local residents, according to a Washington Post report on Friday.

The report, which cited unnamed sources, said Amazon executives have had discussions recently to rethink the company's plans for New York and consider alternatives.

"We're focused on engaging with our new neighbors — small business owners, educators, and community leaders," an Amazon spokesperson said in a statement to CNN. "Whether it's building a pipeline of local jobs through workforce training or funding computer science classes for thousands of New York City students, we are working hard to demonstrate what kind of neighbor we will be."

Amazon selected New York City and Northern Virginia in November to split duty as its second headquarters (nicknamed HQ2) after a year-long search. Each city was expected to have more than 25,000 workers over time.

The New York Times reported Friday afternoon, citing two unnamed sources, that Amazon execs are frustrated with the cold reception the company has received in New York, but that the company is not currently planning to back out.

If Amazon is reconsidering its Long Island City campus, it's not telling close partners on the project.

"We talk with the folks from Amazon all the time," says Elizabeth Lusskin, president of the Long Island City Partnership, the local economic development organization. "As far as they say to us, everything is great, they're excited about New York, they're working hard to get to know the community and move things along."

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo framed the original announcement as a tremendous job creation opportunity for the entire New York region. It also ignited a frenzy over real estate in both cities.

But critics objected to the massive subsidies New York offered to lure the tech behemoth.

New York State committed to $1.525 billion in incentives, contingent on the company creating 25,000 new jobs with an average salary of $150,000. Protesters took to the streets in Long Island City, criticizing the deal for being bad for taxpayers and the neighborhood.

Those critics got new hope earlier this week when New York State Senator Michael Gianaris of Queens, who is a vocal critic of HQ2, was recommended to serve on the Public Authorities Control Board.

The relatively unknown board weighs in on any financing and land use deals that run through public authorities, which primarily include economic development projects. It's had some success in the past blocking major projects.

On Friday, Cuomo reacted angrily when asked during a pre-planned, unrelated news conference about the possibility that Amazon might bail on New York.

"For the state Senate to oppose Amazon was governmental malpractice," Cuomo said. "And if they stop Amazon from coming to New York, they're going to have the people of New York State to explain it to. It is irresponsible to allow political opposition to overcome sound government policy."

Mayor Bill DeBlasio, who helped craft the HQ2 deal behind closed doors, expressed confidence that Amazon would still come to the city.

"The mayor fully expects Amazon to deliver on its promise to New Yorkers," said his spokesman Eric Phillips in a statement.

Ocasio-Cortez, who campaigned against the subsidy package, celebrated the news that Amazon may be reconsidering the whole deal. Her district borders Long Island City.

"I think it's really encouraging to show that government and all of us primarily have a responsibility to the communities that we directly impact," Ocasio-Cortez told CNN on Friday. "When we don't consult with those communities, we absolutely need to reconsider those deals and that process."