CNN
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Former American Media CEO David Pecker told jurors in Donald Trump’s hush money lawsuit how he paid for articles to keep Karen McDougall quiet about her alleged affair with Trump. and how his decision not to pay for Stormy Daniels’ articles led to Michael. Mr. Cohen will ultimately pay the price.
Prosecutors finished direct testimony with Pecker on Thursday. Mr. Pecker was on the stand for three days, detailing how he worked with Mr. Trump and Mr. Cohen to buy harmful articles about Mr. Trump during the 2016 campaign. His testimony became the basis for the rest of the Manhattan District Attorney’s case against Mr. Trump, which focused on the payments to Mr. Daniels.
The former president, who has denied any relationship with both McDougal and Daniels and has pleaded not guilty in the case, did not want to appear in a downtown Manhattan courtroom Thursday. But Judge Juan Melchán last week denied his request to come to Washington for Supreme Court arguments on presidential immunity, so Trump instead stopped at a New York campaign stop Thursday morning and ended the day. attacked the incident as he left the courtroom. However, he described the testimony as “breathtakingly wonderful.”
Marchan did not rule Thursday on whether Trump violated the judge’s gag order. However, prosecutors presented the judge with four more examples of alleged violations. That includes comments he made about Mr. Pecker before appearing in court Thursday morning.
Trump’s lawyers began cross-examining Pecker on Thursday afternoon and will continue Friday.
Here are the takeaways from Thursday’s hush money trial:
Pecker’s testimony includes how AMI paid McDougal on Trump’s behalf, private conversations between Pecker and Trump about the capture-and-kill deal, and how her story was made public. It included details such as the aftermath of the incident.
Pecker’s testimony to prosecutors lasted more than seven hours over three days. He explained how he funneled money into a catch-and-kill scheme to suppress McDougall’s articles. Mr. Pecker explained how his refusal to pay for Mr. Daniels’ article led to Michael Cohen, then President Trump’s fixer, himself donating $130,000.
Pecker also said that she and her top editors initially alerted Trump and Cohen to the fact that Daniels was buying her articles, and that Cohen’s efforts to get them to buy Daniels’ articles as well. He also testified that Trump refused.
After Trump’s election, Pecker testified that Trump asked him how McDougal was doing at least twice, including at what Pecker called a “thank you dinner” at the White House in 2017.
“As we were leaving the store, President Trump asked me, ‘How’s Karen, how’s Karen doing?’ And I said, ‘She’s fine, she’s quiet. Everything is fine,”’ Pecker said.
Pecker also described how Trump was angry when McDougal’s story became public. President Trump called him on November 5, 2016, the day the Wall Street Journal published an article about the AMI agreement, three days before Election Day.
Pecker said Trump became very upset during the conversation and said, “How could something like this happen? I thought you had this under control.”
After McDougal was interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper in March 2018, Pecker also received a call from Trump.
Pecker told Trump on the phone call that he had amended McDougal’s agreement to speak with other media outlets. Trump was angry, Pecker testified.
“He was very upset and couldn’t understand why I did it,” Pecker said.
01:06 – Source: CNN
CNN correspondent explains why he thinks President Trump’s gag order hearing was a ‘disaster’
Merchan had Court resumed Tuesday morning after hearing arguments over an alleged violation of a gag order that restricts Trump from publicly discussing witnesses, jurors, district attorney staff and Marchand’s family. He did not issue a ruling Thursday. .
Instead, prosecutors filed a separate motion charging Trump with contempt for further violations of the gag order over the past three days, including comments he made Thursday morning.
Prosecutor Chris Conroy cited Mr. Trump’s remarks about Mr. Pecker at an event in New York City, saying he was “kind.”
“This is a message to Pecker. Be kind. This is a message to others,” Conroy said.
At the end of the day, Marchan announced that a public hearing on the motion would be held next Wednesday. This is the day that Trump’s trial is scheduled to be held.
Wednesday’s hearing means that Mr. Trump will not leave New York for a full day of campaigning and golf, as he did this Wednesday at a club in Bedminster, but rather will be in downtown Manhattan. will spend his days off in court, says CNN’s Kristen Holmes. report. President Trump has two campaign events scheduled for next Wednesday.
If Marchand is found to be in contempt for violating Trump’s gag order, he could be fined $1,000 per violation, the maximum under state law, or jailed for up to 30 days. It seemed as if forcing Mr Marchand to make additional court appearances was another way to take action against the former president’s violation of the gag order, but by evening the hearing was scheduled for next Thursday, May It was changed to 9:30 on the 2nd. I’m here instead.
02:32 – Source: CNN
Judge Jackson warns of ‘crime center’ in Oval Office during immunity hearing
Trump’s lawyers had asked for Trump to be excused from Thursday’s court appearance so he could attend Supreme Court arguments on presidential immunity. The judge denied the request.
The Supreme Court in Washington on Thursday appeared prepared to reject President Trump’s claims of blanket immunity and broad protections he sought to end the federal election destruction case, but the justices also said appeared willing to accept consequences that could jeopardize its ability to enforce. The case is expected to go to trial before the November elections.
Trump also commented on the Supreme Court case as he left a Manhattan courthouse on Thursday.
“I had to come here, but I’m glad I did, because in some ways it was a very interesting day,” President Trump said. “But the U.S. Supreme Court held a monumental hearing on immunity as it relates to immunity and presidential immunity. The president must have immunity, or there is no president, or at best a ceremonial president. I think it has become clear that I am deaf, and I hope it becomes clear.”
Pecker agreed in cross-examination that suppressing the article was “standard operating procedure.”
Trump’s lawyer Emile Beauvais cross-examined Pecker for about an hour Thursday.
Mr. Bove asked Mr. Pecker a rapid-fire series of leading questions, reminding jurors that Mr. Trump’s symbiotic relationship with Mr. Pecker and his tabloids was not unusual and had been going on long before Mr. Trump’s candidacy. I made sure.
Mr. Pecker acknowledged source contracts like the one used to suppress stories from Mr. McDougal and the former Trump Tower doorman. Dino Sajudin is a “standard operating procedure” that allows the company to control how, if at all, AMI discloses information.
Mr. Pecker also confirmed that Mr. Trump is understood to be the top seller for AMI publications.
Especially around the time of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” the company’s research showed Trump could be the National Enquirer’s biggest sales booster.
“So you published an article about President Trump because it was good for business?” Bove asked.
“That’s right,” said Mr. Pecker.
Mr. Pecker also acknowledged that he has had a standard practice since the 1990s of not publishing negative articles about Mr. Trump.
“Because it wasn’t good for business?” Bob asked.
“Yes,” Pecker said.
Bove acknowledged to Pecker that “many politicians work with the media to promote their image” and “that includes winning elections.”
01:44 – Source: CNN
‘A grave betrayal’: Stelter responds to Pecker’s testimony on Trump
Bove’s cross-examination of Pecker elicited testimony about other celebrities whose stories Pecker had bought to keep them from being published, and revealed that while he was chairman of the National Enquirer’s publishing company, It gave an interesting glimpse.
Trump’s lawyers will try to prove to Pecker that AMI used “checkbook journalism” to control media discourse and fostered mutually beneficial relationships with multiple celebrities, not just Trump. did.
Mr. Bove scrutinized Mr. Pecker’s previous testimony with prosecutors about his capture-and-kill deal with Arnold Schwarzenegger shortly before he announced his candidacy for California governor. In the end, 30 or 40 women came to AMI with stories about Schwarzenegger, Bove said, a statement Pecker confirmed.
Mr. Pecker also helped agent Ari Emanuel control stories about actor Mark Wahlberg, as well as negative information about allegations involving former Chicago mayor and brother of the current U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. He also said he helped suppress the article.
Bove also forced Pecker to admit that the company had purchased photos of golfer Tiger Woods “to be used against Woods for publication in magazines.”
CNN has reached out to Schwarzenegger, Rahm Emanuel, Ari Emanuel, Wahlberg and Woods for comment.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
