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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
- Jeff Bezos is poised to meet New York federal prosecutors this week over the leaking of his intimate messages to former TV host Lauren Sanchez, CNN reports.
- Prosecutors want to examine claims that Bezos' phone was accessed by Saudi Arabia, and are still attempting to establish if the National Enquirer tried to extort the Amazon CEO.
- CNN added that Bezos has expanded his legal team to handle the ongoing saga, engaging the services of a former federal prosecutor.
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The saga over the sex texts of the richest man on the planet continued to play out this week after CNN reported that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos will meet New York federal prosecutors over the matter.
In a report on Wednesday, CNN said the meeting could take place as early as this week as the US attorney's office seeks information on two fronts:
- Prosecutors want to investigate the accusation made by Bezos' security consultant, Gavin de Becker, that the Amazon CEO's phone was accessed by Saudi Arabia. This includes how information gleaned from his phone ended up in the hands of the National Enquirer, which published the revelations about his affair with Lauren Sanchez.
- They are still examining if the National Enquirer's threat to publish intimate images of Bezos amounted to extortion. This was the claim made by Bezos in an explosive blog in February.
CNN reported that prosecutors want to obtain access to Bezos' electronic devices and talks about cooperation have been ongoing for some time. It follows de Becker's team, which has been carrying out an independent investigation, turning over information to law enforcement.
Read more: Jeff Bezos breezily replied to a threat of 'extortion' over his sexts with a 3-word email
CNN also said Bezos has expanded his legal team to handle the ongoing saga. The Amazon CEO has engaged the services of Matthew Schwartz, a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner. According to his bio, Schwartz was a federal prosecutor in the Southern District of New York between 2005 and 2015.
Bezos is also represented by Hollywood attorney Martin Singer. Business Insider has contacted Singer for comment following CNN's report that his client is meeting with prosecutors. A spokeswoman for the US attorney's office declined to comment when contacted by CNN.
De Becker went public with his theory on Saudi Arabia last month in an op-ed for The Daily Beast. He said his investigation had concluded that "the Saudis had access to Bezos' phone, and gained private information." Saudi Arabia has consistently denied any involvement in the matter.