Lawyers for Donald Trump have begun cross-examining former National Enquirer David Pecker in Trump’s New York criminal hush money trial. Pecker testified about his refusal to pay porn star Stormy Daniels for her story of having sex with Trump, as well as payments made to silence Daniels, former Trump Tower doorman, and Playboy model Karen McDougal during the 2016 election. Pecker noted that he declined Cohen’s request to pay for Daniels’ story, and later Cohen complained to him about not being reimbursed by Trump for paying Daniels $130,000.
Pecker shared details about his relationship with Trump and his involvement in “catch and kill” schemes during his testimony. He believed Trump would reimburse him for purchasing McDougal’s story, which he was told to buy by Cohen, who assured him that “the boss will take care of it.” The purpose of buying McDougal’s story was to prevent negative news from surfacing before the 2016 election. Pecker never received reimbursement for the $150,000 payment to McDougal, but Trump acknowledged Pecker for handling the McDougal and doorman situations in a meeting at the White House. After the election, Pecker amended McDougal’s confidentiality agreement to allow her to speak to reporters, causing Trump to get aggravated.
Pecker admitted to a campaign finance violation related to not reporting the $150,000 payment to McDougal to the FEC. He received a letter from the FEC and was advised by Cohen not to worry, mentioning that Jeff Sessions and Donald Trump were close. Pecker signed a cooperation agreement with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office in 2019 related to the hush money case against Trump. The trial, which started with opening statements on Monday, is expected to last six weeks. Pecker’s testimony included his involvement in a deal to pay a former Trump Tower doorman for a story about Trump fathering a child with his maid, which he deemed untrue but purchased to prevent embarrassment to the campaign and Trump. He also testified about embellishing negative stories about Trump’s rivals at Cohen’s request.
Pecker’s testimony also revealed that Cohen asked Pecker to pay for Daniels’ story, which Pecker refused, wanting to avoid involvement with a porn star. Trump allegedly thanked Pecker for handling the McDougal situation in a meeting at the White House and inquired about her well-being. Pecker mentioned that he extended McDougal’s contract after an interview with her in 2018, which angered Trump. Despite the involvement in hush money payments, Pecker noted that the purpose was to suppress negative news about Trump and prevent the stories from embarrassing him or hurting his campaign in 2016. The trial continues with Pecker on the witness stand for further questioning by lawyers for Donald Trump.
