Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is testifying in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial, where he described using the National Enquirer to bury negative stories about Trump and attack his rivals during the 2016 presidential campaign. Pecker served as the chief executive of the Enquirer’s parent company until 2020 and agreed to be Trump’s “eyes and ears” in 2015. He used a tactic called “catch and kill” to buy the rights to stories about Trump, without publishing them, effectively keeping them hidden. Pecker’s testimony is expected to continue through much of the day’s proceedings on Thursday.
Prosecutors allege a $130,000 “hush money” payment made by Trump’s attorney, Michael Cohen, to adult film star Stormy Daniels in the days before the election was part of the “catch and kill” scheme. Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records related to reimbursements to Cohen. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has been accused by Trump of pursuing the case for political gain. Judge Juan Merchan may rule on a motion by prosecutors seeking to hold Trump in contempt for violating a gag order in the case with posts on social media and his campaign.
The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments over whether Trump should be immune from federal prosecution in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The judge overseeing the trial denied Trump’s request to attend the arguments in Washington D.C. on the same day. Prosecutors are seeking a ruling holding Trump in contempt for violating the gag order, with arguments made regarding social media and campaign posts that attacked witnesses in the case. Trump’s attorney argued that his client was responding to political attacks and didn’t believe he was violating the order when reposting or quoting others.
The testimony provided by Pecker is crucial to the case, as he has detailed his involvement in efforts to protect Trump from negative stories and attack his opponents during the 2016 presidential campaign. Pecker’s use of the “catch and kill” tactic to acquire stories about Trump, without publishing them, sheds light on the lengths to which some were willing to go to protect the former president. The $130,000 payment made to Stormy Daniels is a central part of the prosecution’s case, alleging that it was part of a scheme to bury damaging stories about Trump.
The trial continues to unfold with significant legal developments, including arguments at the Supreme Court regarding Trump’s immunity from federal prosecution and the judge ruling on the motion to hold Trump in contempt. Pecker’s testimony and the details revealed about the tactics used to protect Trump and attack his rivals provide a deeper understanding of the dynamics at play during the 2016 presidential campaign. The outcome of the trial and the decisions made by the judge will have lasting implications for Trump and those involved in the case.
