Extortion!?! I never. New York Post editor and freelancer, Jared Paul Stern has been suspended from the daily due to the FBI investigating him on extortion charges. Allegedly Mr. Stern solicited $220,000 from billionaire Ron Brukle in return for a year's "protection" against inaccurate and unflattering items about him in the gossip page. The sting was monitored by the U.S. attorney's office and the FBI, who are now investigating the extortion attempt. The meetings, on March 22 and March 31, were videotaped.
The shakedown began with a series of e-mails sent last month by Stern to Burkle. It reached a boiling point more than an hour into the first meeting after Stern outlined various ways Burkle could buy protection on the gossip page.An exasperated Burkle finally said, "How much do you want?" after Stern said he could control coverage by Richard Johnson, the column's chief writer, and his staff. "Um, $100,000 to get going and then you could get it to me on a month-to-month, maybe like $10,000," replied Stern.
"Okay, that's a great deal," said Burkle, the subject of numerous Page Six items including a "date" with supermodel Gisele Bundchen, meetings with other women and a nasty breakup with a longtime lover.
Burkle had insisted to Page Six staffers and editors that the items were not true. Among the other false items is a Jan. 1 report that Burkle flew Tobey Maguire, girlfriend Jen Meyer and blonde actress Sarah Foster in his private jet to Aspen, Colo., where they "vacationed at Burkle's mansion."
Burkle does not own a mansion in Aspen, did not fly his private jet to Aspen, and didn't vacation with Foster, Maguire or Meyer.
So how much does one have pay Page Six writers to get a mention, if it takes $220,000 to keep you off of Page Six.
The billionaire, the Post and the $220G shakedown [Daily Dish]
(Image via Skull & Bones)
