For some reason most of the analysis of whether AMI has been determined to have committed "any crime" and therefore void their non-prosecution agreement with the SDNY has relied on federal offenses. I am not so sure we have to work so hard on this because the agreement not to prosecute doesn't even specify a federal criminal act, so how about NY state law which is much clearer and on point.
"135.60 Coercion in the second degree
"A person is guilty of coercion in the second degree when he or she compels or induces a person to engage in conduct which the latter has a legal right to abstain from engaging in, or to abstain from engaging in conduct in which he or she has a legal right to engage, or compels or induces a person to join a group, organization or criminal enterprise which such latter person has a right to abstain from joining, by means of instilling in him or her a fear that, if the demand is not complied with, the actor or another will:"
Snip because #5 is our man.
"5. Expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject some person to hatred, contempt or ridicule; or"
Snip just in case
"9. Perform any other act which would not in itself materially benefit the actor but which is calculated to harm another person materially with respect to his or her health, safety, business, calling, career, financial condition, reputation or personal relationships."
Coercion in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.
I had the impression this was done with AMI personnel in NY but just in case they were in FL here is the FL statute which is much more direct.
"2011 Florida Statutes
Title XLVI CRIMES
"Chapter 836 DEFAMATION; LIBEL; THREATENING LETTERS AND SIMILAR OFFENSES Entire Chapter
SECTION 05
Threats extortion.
836.05 Threats; extortion.—Whoever, either verbally or by a written or printed communication, maliciously threatens to accuse another of any crime or offense, or by such communication maliciously threatens an injury to the person, property or reputation of another, or maliciously threatens to expose another to disgrace, or to expose any secret affecting another, or to impute any deformity or lack of chastity to another, with intent thereby to extort money or any pecuniary advantage whatsoever, or with intent to compel the person so threatened, or any other person, to do any act or refrain from doing any act against his or her will, shall be guilty of a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084."
As they used to say "book him Dano".
If the SDNY allows AMI to go about trying to silence the WP or Bezos unless he says AMI is not "politically motivated" when that is exactly what they were doing for dt and why they admitted the same types of acts in order not to be prosecuted then their agreements mean absolutely nothing.