TMZ Hits the Hill

Harvey Levin, TMZ's founder, says politicians are now prime targets for his roving band of ambush artists, who are usually chasing the likes of Jessica Simpson and Amy Winehouse.
The brief interviews with Beltway politicians have been in a lighter vein, and nobody would confuse them with serious journalism.
On Tuesday, for instance, TMZ aired a segment in which its Washington reporter asked members of Congress at Reagan National Airport what kind of mattress he should use if he wanted to stash his money underneath. "I'd say a Serta sleeper," said Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio). "I use a cot," said Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah). "I don't think you should keep it in your mattress," Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) dissented.
Washington Post report HERE

Checkbook Journalism

TMZ Pays $62,500.00 to LAPD Source for Rihanna Photo...
There's a leak in TMZ.com chief Harvey Levin's ship of gossip. The Time Warner-owned gossip site paid $62,500 to get a police photo of singer Rihanna's facial injuries, TheMediaBuffet.com claims, citing a TMZ insider.
The release of the photo, taken in the course of a police investigation into Rihanna's alleged battering at the hands of boyfriend and fellow R&B star Chris Brown, set off a media-ethics firestorm and an internal LAPD investigation.

Jury Pool could be tainted, LAPD with egg on their face AGAIN...

Related:
TMZ's History Of Abuse
TMZ leaked Rihanna photo might get Brown off