AMERICAN MEDIA, INC. Cameron St rather Grimm! Counsel - Merlin STAR NATIONAL ENDUIHER FITNESS 5: FITNESS :5 HERS FLEX GLEIBE SOAP DIGEST RADAR 0H LIME March 19, 2018 Hon. Jerrold'Nadler Hen. Lois?FrankeI Hon. Brenda? L. Lawrenc 2109 Rayburn H.0.B. 1037 Longworth H.0.B. 1213 Longworth 11.0.3. Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Lefgren EBB: eat;passing" not. Steve ?cdii??' 1401 Longworth 11.0.13. 2187 Rayburn H.0.B. 2404 Rayburn H.013. Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 as. ?Baa canes? "Hail. can has}; 2240 Rayburn 224-4- Rayburn 1-10.13. 431 Cannon Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representatives: American Media, Inc. has received your letter dated March 9, 2013, inquiring about its newsgathering practices and editorial decisions. The stated purpose of your inquiry is to investigate ?questions relating to potential violations of federal campaign ?nance and income tax law? as well as ?risks of future efforts to extort or otherwise in?uence the President in his official capacity.? As you may be aware, AMI publishes thiiteen print and online magazines. They include lifestyle, health and ?tness, investigative reporting, and celebrity gossip publications.l As a publisher, AMl?s editorial decisions are exempt from regulation under the federal campaign ?nance laws.I AMI is con?dent in its compliance with all tax laws. Finally, AMI states unequivocally that any suggestion that it would seek to ?extort? the President of the United Sates through the exercise of its editorial discretion is outrageous, offensive, and wholly without merit. I Your letter requests to explain editorialjudgrnents of In Touch, implying that it owns or publishes that magazine. AMI has never owned or pubiished In Touch. 1 52 U.S.C. ll l00.73, 100.132. This is the same statutory exemption that protected CBS News and Dan Rather from regulation for coordinating with the John Kerry campaign and making an editorial decision to broadcast a story about President George W. Bush?s air national guard service. See FEC Matters Under Review 5540 5545 (CBS Broadcasting, Inc., a! allNEW YORK PM. 2ND NEW YORK, 10004 0 TEL 212-?43-5513 FAX 545-310-3039 9 CELL 91?-501-6202 Furthermore, the factual recitation in your inquiry is based entirely upon other news outlets" pejorative characterizations of editorial practices, and elitist condemnation of ?tabloid? journalism. Such characterizations are inherently unreliable, misleading, and unfair. Many of you have defended the free press rights of journalists against government criticism,3 retaliation,? and investigation in matters implicating violent crime5 and national security." We trust that you will respect AMl?s free press rights to gather news and make editorial decisions in a matter involving potential stories of less gravity. Accurdingly, we hope you will honor choice to decline, respectfully, to participate in a governmental inquiry into its editorial decisions. gincerely, .-- C, ,3sz "Qt/w Cameron Stracher 3 H. Res. 179(115"' Cong, Sess.) ("To uphold the protections of the freedom of the press [government] should not praise friendly orrtlets while criticizing those considered unfavorable?); Rep. Jerrold Nadler Tweet onlirre at (?Freedom ofthe press is protected trader the First Amendment his is vital to fostering a democratic dc informed society. #NadlerTowuHall"). 4 Gregory Korte, ?Amendment puts spotlight on Pentagon propaganda.? USA TODA 1? (May it}, 2012) Hank] Johnson also called for an investigation into rcprisals against the USA TODAY journalists who have reported on the program, whom he said were ?targeted in a possibly criminal disinformation and reputation attack?). 5 Thomas Haeltett, ?Seven Days, The Last Word on Last Week,? New l?orlr Daily News (Dec. 30, 200]) (?Rep Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) petitioned U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft to release the writer [Vanessa Legged] for Christmas?). 5 Ryan J. Reilly, "Eric Holder: Subpoenas For Hundreds Of Journalist Phone Records May Be Okay," Hrg?irrgrorr Post (May 20 E3) ([Rep. Jerrold] Nadler told HuffPost, ??Tlrese subpoenas [forjournalists? phone records] are probably overwrought. . Kathleen l-lennessey, ?White House calls For Press Shield Bill,? The (May 2013) seems to are clear that the [investigation of journalists by] the department [on ustice] have, in fact, impaired the First Amendment,? said Rep. Zoe Lofgren, HR. 4382 (l Cong.) (Free Flow of Information Act of 201 7) (sponsored by Rep. Jamie Raskirr); HR. l962 (l 13?? Cong.) (Free low of Information Act of 20] 3) (co?sponsored by Reps. David Cicillirre, Steve Cohen, Henry Johnson, Jr., Sheila Jackson Lee, Zoe Lofgren, Jerrold Nadler); Fornrn on The State of Press Freedom in 21'? Century America, ly 24, 2017 (a forum sponsored by Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Steve Cohen critically examining ?aggressive efforts by the Administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush to prosecute or pressurejournalists? in the name of national security).