The lawyer who negotiated Stormy Daniels’ hush money deal told a tabloid editor who helped Donald Trump kill stories of alleged affairs “he f—-d you, idiot”. Keith Davidson represented Ms Daniels and Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model, in financial agreements to buy their silence over their purported trysts with Mr Trump. He later texted Dylan Howard, the-then editor of the National Enquirer to whom he fed salacious stories, saying “He owes AMI [the Enquirer’s parent company] everything and he f—-d u. Idiot.” Mr Davison did not explicitly name Mr Trump in the text message, sent months into Mr Trump’s first term in office. During his four days of testimony, former tabloid boss David Pecker named Mr Howard and Mr Davidson as key players in the “catch-and-kill” scheme to bury negative stories about the former president.
On the night of Mr Trump’s victory in the 2016 presidential election, Mr Davidson texted Mr Howard saying: “What have we done?” Mr Howard replied shortly before 3am on November 9, 2016: “Oh my god.” But their concern appeared to be short-lived, as later exchanges showed the pair discussing trying to get tickets to Mr Trump’s inauguration from Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s former fixer. The trial continues next week. The trial continues. During Friday’s cross-examination, Emil Bove, a defence lawyer, tried to suggest Mr Pecker’s arrangement with Mr Trump was “standard operating procedure”. He also tried to cast doubt on Mr Pecker’s testimony, suggesting his story had changed since his first meeting with the FBI in 2018. Mr Pecker insisted he had been “truthful to the best of my recollection”. The trial continues.
David Pecker, right, is questioned in court on Friday while Donald Trump, left, watches on. But their concern appeared to be short-lived, as later exchanges showed the pair discussing trying to get tickets to Mr Trump’s inauguration from Michael Cohen, Mr Trump’s former fixer. Mr Pecker previously testified that he, Cohen and the former president had in August 2015 hatched a plan to bury any potentially embarrassing stories that could hurt Mr Trump in his 2016 election run. The 34 felony charges being brought against Mr Trump centre on an alleged $130,000 payment Cohen made to Ms Daniels to “silence” her. Prosecutors say Mr Trump illegally falsified business records by disguising his reimbursement payments to Cohen as legal fees. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty on all 34 counts. He denies having a sexual encounter with Ms Daniels.
During Friday’s cross-examination, Emil Bove, a defence lawyer, tried to suggest Mr Pecker’s arrangement with Mr Trump was “standard operating procedure”. He also tried to cast doubt on Mr Pecker’s testimony, suggesting his story had changed since his first meeting with the FBI in 2018. Mr Pecker insisted he had been “truthful to the best of my recollection”. Before court was in session on Friday morning Mr Trump wished his wife Melania “a very happy birthday”. “It’d be nice to be with her, but I’m at a courthouse for a rigged trial”, he told reporters in the courthouse hallway. The trial continues next week. The former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified today that he suppressed a story about an alleged affair to help Trump’s 2016 presidential bid, even though it would have boosted sales of his tabloid. Pecker, 72, agreed with a prosecutor who asked whether it would have been “National Enquirer gold” to publish the story of former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s claim that she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007. But he said he opted not to run the story after paying Ms McDougal for it, because it would have hurt Mr Trump’s chances of beating Hillary Clinton. “You killed the story because it helped the candidate, Donald Trump?” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked him. Mr Pecker agreed. Prosecutors hope to demonstrate that the suppression of allegations of adultery was motivated by political considerations. The defence has argued the payment was made to spare Mr Trump’s family embarrassment, not bolster his campaign. Under cross-examination, Trump lawyer Emil Bove sought to undermine Mr Pecker’s credibility. He asked Mr Pecker whether his statements aligned with facts contained in an agreement by the Enquirer’s parent company to co-operate with legal authorities to avoid prosecution. Pecker denied any substantial mismatch. Mr Bove has also sought to illustrate that Mr Pecker’s chequebook journalism was not confined to Mr Trump. The court is now on a short break. The temperature inside Part 59, the courtroom where the trial is being held, has become a point of contention in this trial. It’s not warm in the courtroom, but I wouldn’t say it’s “freezing” as Mr Trump has claimed. I’m in a dress and a jumper, with my coat firmly on the floor, but other reporters are bundled up in puffer jackets. One member of the jury is wearing a coat, while another is in a short sleeved polo shirt. Mr. Trump’s former assistant Rhona Graff is on the stand. Mr. Trump is watching intently as Ms Graff describes her 34-year-career working for him. Ms Graff has said she is being represented by two lawyers paid for by the Trump Organisation. She is being asked in detail about how she managed his diary and contacts.
