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Ron Burkle,, major democRatic donor and billionaire?
The one who is buying legislation in California to keep his financial records from being released for public viewing or even form viewing with portions redacted therefrom... even after courts ruled otherwise earlier.
Why pay extortion when you can buy your own newspaper chain?
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2006/04/07/entertainment/e082047D17.DTL
Jared Paul Stern, who worked freelance for the newspaper's Page Six column, is suspected of demanding $100,000 and an annual $10,000 stipend from Ron Burkle in exchange for not writing negative stories about him, the Post said.
(snip)
Burkle, one of the world's richest men, has an estimated personal wealth of more than $2 billion. He has given millions of dollars to political causes, including more than $200,000 to Republican California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his campaigns.
Burkle in February joined forces with union workers at Knight Ridder Inc. newspapers in an effort to buy a group of 12 papers that The McClatchy Co. plans to sell as part of its acquisition of the company. Burkle's company, Los Angeles-based The Yucaipa Cos. LLC, teamed with the Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America as part of the effort.
Yucaipa also is known for its investments in supermarkets, including Food4Less, Dominick's, Ralphs Grocery Co., Smith's Food & Drug Stores and Fred Meyer.