David Pecker, the former head of the National Enquirer, is slated to continue his testimony on Tuesday as the initial witness in the trial of former U.S. President Donald Trump, concerning allegations surrounding hush money paid to a pornographic actress.
Pecker, aged 72, briefly took the stand on Monday, offering insights into the workings of celebrity tabloid journalism. However, proceedings were cut short due to a juror’s medical appointment. On Tuesday, he is expected to delve into the core of the hush money trial.
Trump, vying as the Republican presidential nominee in the upcoming U.S. election, faces 34 charges related to falsifying business records to conceal his former lawyer Michael Cohen’s $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels. The payment aimed to secure her silence before the 2016 election regarding an alleged sexual encounter with Trump a decade earlier.
Trump maintains his innocence, vehemently denying any such encounter.
Peeker’s involvement and potential testimony include the following:
- Serving as the CEO of American Media and the publisher of the National Enquirer from 1999 until August 2020.
- A longtime associate of Trump, Pecker reportedly assisted in burying potentially damaging stories about the businessman and presidential candidate leading up to the 2016 campaign.
- Pecker, summoned as a witness for the prosecution, stated on Monday that he is testifying under subpoena.
- Prosecutors allege that Pecker met with Trump and his former attorney Michael Cohen at Trump Tower in August 2015 to strategize using the National Enquirer to suppress negative stories about Trump through a practice known as “catch and kill.”
- One such case involved former Playboy model Karen McDougal, whom American Media reportedly paid $150,000 in 2016 for exclusive rights to her story about an alleged affair with Trump. Prosecutors assert that Trump had agreed to reimburse American Media. However, Trump refutes any involvement with McDougal.
- Prosecutors claim that American Media was aware of Daniels’ intention to sell her story but did not proceed with payment as they awaited reimbursement from Trump for the McDougal deal. Cohen then personally funded the payment to Daniels.
- Prosecutors allege that Trump falsely recorded his reimbursement to Cohen for the Daniels payment as legal expenses in his New York-based real estate company’s financial records. Trump maintains that the payment was personal and unrelated to his campaign.
- Pecker and American Media reportedly provided prosecutors with information regarding Cohen’s payment to Daniels after being subpoenaed by federal investigators in April 2018. In exchange for testifying about Trump’s awareness of the payment, Pecker received immunity from prosecution.
