A tabloid publisher has revealed his efforts to prevent a former Playboy model from disclosing her alleged affair with Donald Trump, fearing it could damage his 2016 presidential campaign.
David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher, testified in Mr. Trump’s criminal trial in New York, expressing his belief that the story would have been embarrassing for Trump and detrimental to his campaign.
Pecker, a key prosecution witness, testified that the Enquirer, under the practice known as “catch and kill,” acquired Karen McDougal’s story about Trump’s alleged affair but never published it to support Trump’s electoral chances.
He recounted advising Trump to buy McDougal’s silence after she disclosed her alleged affair with Trump from 2006 to 2007.
During his testimony, Pecker mentioned Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, assuring him that Trump would cover the expenses, stating, “Don’t worry, I’m your friend.
The boss will take care of it,” with “the boss” referring to Trump. Ultimately, the National Enquirer paid McDougal $150,000 for her story, which was never published.
McDougal is expected to testify later in the trial, along with Michael Cohen, who arranged the payment to Stormy Daniels and claims to have been reimbursed by Trump.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts and denied both the affair with Daniels and McDougal.
While hush money payments themselves aren’t illegal, prosecutors argue that the Daniels payment was a campaign expense that should have been disclosed.
Trump’s lawyers maintained that it was personal and unrelated to his campaign.
This trial marks the first of a former US president, coinciding with Trump’s preparation for a November election rematch with President Joe Biden and his defence against three other criminal indictments, all of which he has pleaded not guilty to.
On the same day, the US Supreme Court heard arguments from Trump’s legal team asserting his immunity from prosecution for actions taken as president, which has delayed his prosecution on charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
Despite Trump’s request to attend the Supreme Court arguments, Justice Juan Merchan denied it, obliging him to be present for the New York trial.
