We Know How To Destroy People, It's What We Do(NRR

Rockadelic

Apparently Mr. Burkle is a billionaire conservative and close friends with Rupert Murdoch.__________________________________________________________________________________________________The New York Post is cooperating with a federal investigation into whether a longtime contributor for the Page Six gossip column ??? the avidly read daily log of wrongdoing, double-dealing and sexual indiscretions by celebrities both minor and major ??? tried to extort money from a California billionaire, according to a spokesman for the newspaper.Several people involved in the investigation said the reporter, Jared Paul Stern, had been captured on a video recording demanding a $100,000 payment and a monthly stipend of $10,000 from Ronald W. Burkle in return for keeping negative information about him out of the paper. Mr. Stern was suspended Thursday pending the outcome of the investigation, and could be dismissed, according to Howard Rubenstein, the spokesman.Mr. Stern, 35, began working full time for The Post in 1997. In 2003, Bonnie Fuller hired him to be the executive editor of Star, a position he left within a year. He returned to The Post as a contributor. In addition he wrote for other publications, including two articles for The Times. In the March 31 meeting, Mr. Burkle mainly haggled with Mr. Stern over how his payments should be made: in cash, as Mr. Stern wanted, or by wire transfer, as the authorities had pressed Mr. Burkle to insist, according to a person involved in the investigation. In that meeting, the person involved in the investigation said, Mr. Stern spoke of Page Six's power. "We know how to destroy people," Mr. Stern said, according to a person reading a transcript of the meeting. "It's what we do. We do it without creating liability. That's our specialty."[/b]