Alexander brothers allegedly bribed reporters for positive coverage of sex-trafficking trial
The Alexander brothers allegedly paid independent journalists for writing favorable coverage of their sex-trafficking trial – claims those writers have denied – as the wealthy trio sought to beat the federal charges before they were convicted and sentenced.Tal Alexander, 40, and his 39-year-old twin brothers, Oren and Alon Alexander, were convicted in March of conspiracy to commit sex crimes, including with minors.They each were sentenced on Oct.
27 to 30 years in prison.The jet-setting trio was found guilty of working together and with others to engage in sex trafficking, including by repeatedly drugging, sexually assaulting, and raping numerous female victims.Now, the brothers face civil litigation from women who say they were victims.But two independent journalists who covered the proceedings also are facing accusations.Daniel Mael is one of two writers accused in a New York Times piece of accepting payment to portray the trio of brothers in a positive way.But that’s not true, Mael said in a phone call with Fox News Digital.He simply wrote about his own conclusions, he said.Mael rejected claims from the New York Times report that he was paid $15,000 for writing “sympathetic posts” about the brothers during their trial.
In the report, publisher Frank Parlato was said to have been paid $10,000 for similar writings.Mael declined to discuss the details of his financial agreement with the Alexanders’ publicist, Juda Engelmayer.Engelmayer “offered to help subsidize part of the cost of covering the case, and I accepted,” Mael wrote in a statement on X on Nov.5.“No one requested favorable coverage, no one dictated a single word, and no one exercised the slightest editorial influence over my reporting.”Parlato also declined to discuss whether he was paid for his writing.In an email to Fox News Digital, he maintained his coverage was independent.“I have never spoken to the Alexander brothers,” Parlato wrote.
“Nobody tells me what to write.Nobo...