3 weeks ago
David Pecker, who ran nan National Enquirer empire, confirmed nether oath yesterday that he had utilized catch-and-kill payments to thief Donald Trump’s run – and his matter messages didn’t thief nan erstwhile president either.
In his 2nd time of testimony, nan erstwhile Trump pal calmly described forking complete rate successful 2 specified instances: 1 for a communicative that turned retired to beryllium flatly untrue, and 1 to bargain nan soundlessness of erstwhile Playboy playmate Karen McDougal, who alleges a 10-month matter that Trump denies.
Time ran retired earlier they sewage to Stormy Daniels, whose relationship of a one-night intersexual brushwood pinch Trump – which he besides denies – is astatine nan bosom of nan case, astatine slightest if it tin beryllium tied to falsified business records.
Under questioning by Manhattan Assistant D.A. Josh Steinglass, Pecker said he moreover viewed it arsenic his work to nan run to thief support damaging Trump stories retired of different publications.
PROSECUTORS REVEAL 'ANOTHER CRIME' AT HEART OF FORMER PRESIDENT'S CHARGES
In his 2nd time of grounds astatine nan hush money trial, Pecker said former Trump fixer Michael Cohen invited him to nan candidate’s June 2015 launch, portion of an effort to show really adjacent he was to Trump and his team. (My individual favorites: He sounded a mag called Trump Style, and Trump would leak him nan ratings for "The Apprentice," which nan Enquirer would publish.)
In August 2015, successful a gathering pinch Trump and Cohen, Pecker says he was asked: "What tin I do, and what my magazines could do, to thief nan campaign."
His response: "I would tally aliases people affirmative stories astir Mr. Trump, and antagonistic stories astir his opponents." Cohen said he could person specified stories killed moreover if they were slated to tally successful different publication, Pecker testified.
The affirmative stories were easy: "Donald Trump: Healthiest Individual Ever Elected!"
Michael Cohen, erstwhile individual lawyer to US President Donald Trump, right, extracurricular national tribunal successful New York, US, connected Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
But Cohen would call, inquire for a antagonistic communicative on, say, Ted Cruz, nonstop nan information, "and we’d embellish it from there."
Which led to "Ted Cruz Sex Scandal: 5 Secret Mistresses" – full clone news. (And who tin hide nan bogus Enquirer communicative purporting to necktie Cruz’s dada to nan JFK assassination?)
Or location would beryllium a petition for a deed portion on Ben Carson:
"Bungling Surgeon Ben Carson Left Sponge successful Patient’s Brain."
TRUMP SLAMS 'UNCONSTITUTIONAL' GAG ORDER AS TRIAL WRAPS FOR DAY: 'ALL BIDEN'
One facet that could play retired successful Trump’s favour – aliases pinch a lone juror holdout – is that some Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal were negotiating to waste their stories successful the last stretch of nan campaign, erstwhile nan campaigner would beryllium astatine his astir vulnerable.
Pecker described paying $30,000 to a erstwhile Trump building doorman for his communicative astir nan campaigner having fathered an out-of-wedlock baby. But an Enquirer recovered nan communicative to beryllium utterly untrue. Interestingly, had it been substantiated, Pecker said he would person tally it – aft nan election.
With McDougal, who was supposedly negotiating pinch ABC, Pecker had Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard analyse and he recovered her relationship credible. Cohen perpetually called for updates, and Trump was concerned capable to telephone Pecker himself. Pecker said they should bargain and suppress her story.
Former National Enquirer patient David Pecker speaks from nan witnesser guidelines during erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal proceedings connected charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to soundlessness porn prima Stormy Daniels successful 2016, successful Manhattan authorities tribunal successful New York City, U.S. April 22, 2024, successful this courtroom sketch. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
Trump was opposed, saying erstwhile you do that, it ever comes retired and you look moreover worse.
But Pecker insisted. So nan Enquirer arranged a $150,000 costs that was for McDougal to constitute a fittingness column for different mag successful genitor institution America Media’s stable–and enactment quiet astir Trump, he testified.
Now nary of this has to do pinch nan bosom of nan ineligible case, which is astir falsifying business records to hide nan reimbursements to Cohen. But that is beautiful boring stuff.
What prosecutors were trying to do is show a story, pinch Pecker–who is testifying nether a erstwhile assistance of immunity–more believable than nan disbarred, later jailed Cohen, whose credibility will travel nether fierce attack.
LAW PROFESSOR ROASTS MANHATTAN DA'S CASE AGAINST TRUMP IN NY TIMES GUEST ESSAY
Next up, Pecker will show nan Stormy Daniels communicative tomorrow, pinch nary proceedings proceedings today. And, presumably, yet get to his falling retired pinch Trump.
Earlier, Judge Juan Marchan heard from some sides connected whether Trump had violated his gag bid by attacking different witnesses–namely Cohen and Stormy–and coiled up excoriating nan erstwhile president’s lawyer.
Prosecutors said Trump had violated nan gag bid 10 times, and projected a good of a 1000 bucks per incident. So nan full statement was astir $10,000 – which moreover successful his cash-strapped state, is simply a rounding correction for Trump.
The erstwhile president’s lawyer, Todd Blanche, said location was "absolutely nary willful usurpation of a gag order" and that his customer was allowed to respond to attacks by Cohen and Daniels.
Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo makes opening statements arsenic erstwhile U.S. President Donald Trump watches pinch his lawyer Todd Blanche earlier Justice Juan Merchan during Trump's criminal proceedings connected charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to soundlessness porn prima Stormy Daniels successful 2016, successful Manhattan authorities tribunal successful New York City, U.S. April 22, 2024 successful this courtroom sketch. (REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg)
Blanche had a anemic manus to play, and Merchan kept pressing him for circumstantial comments by Cohen and Daniels.
The judge grew exasperated, raising his sound astatine 1 point: "I support asking you complete and complete to springiness maine an reply and I’m not getting an answer."
It was "silly," Merchan said, to presume nan gag bid was someway waived because Trump had been attacked.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Finally, nan judge scolded Blanche: "You’re losing each credibility pinch nan court. You’ve presented nothing."
Judge Merchan didn’t make a determination yesterday, but it’s crystal clear what he intends to do.
Howard Kurtz is nan big of FOX News Channel's MediaBuzz (Sundays 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET). Based successful Washington, D.C., he joined nan web successful July 2013 and regularly appears connected Special Report pinch Bret Baier and different programs.
