A former doorman at the Trump World Tower claims he knows about an affair that President Donald Trump had with a former housekeeper, which resulted in a child. Dino Sajudin had apparently been prevented from speaking up about the issue after American Media Inc., the parent company of the National Enquirer, paid him $30,000 to keep silent about the rumor. Sajudin’s attorney says AMI has released him from the “catch and kill” contract.
CNN obtained a copy of the agreement between Sajudin and AMI that was signed on Nov. 2015, months after Trump announced he was running for president. Although the contract doesn’t mention any details on the story itself, it does say the “source shall provide AMI with information regarding Donald Trump’s illegitimate child.” The agreement involved paying Sajudin $30,000 but says he would owe $1 million if he violated the deal.
“Mr. Sajudin has been unable to discuss the circumstances regarding his deal with American Media Inc. and the story that he sold to them, due to a significant financial penalty,” Held told CNN. “Just recently, AMI released Mr. Sajudin from the terms of his agreement and he is now able to speak about his personal experience with them, as well as his story, which is now known to be one of the ‘catch and kill’ pieces. Mr. Sajudin hopes the truth will come out in the very near future.”
Although The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow and the Associated Pres had previously written about the contract, news that Sajudin had been released from the agreement came shortly after news that AMI chief David Pecker has received immunity from prosecutors in exchange for information about hush money paid on behalf of Trump. There has long been speculation that Pecker’s tendency to pay to conceal stories about Trump could amount to a violation of campaign finance laws. At the time the National Enquirer insisted it spiked the story because it “lacked any credibility.”
There are clearly many reasons to doubt Sajudin’s credibility in the first place. When Farrow first contacted him about the story, for example, Sajudin responded in an e-mail, “My time is valuable. What’s your offer??” When he was told the magazine doesn’t pay sources, Sajudin stopped responding. His lawyer told the New York Daily News that Sajudin is likely to release new information about the deal with AMI soon. “I do suspect he may release another statement and potentially new documents in the future,” he saidl. “Mr. Sajudin hopes the truth will come out in the very near future.”
