David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, is reportedly set to be the first to testify in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial.
Pecker, whose tabloid reportedly engaged in “catch and kill” practices to bury damaging stories about Trump, will be the first to take the stand after opening arguments in the trial on Monday, a source close to the matter told the New York Times.
Trump is facing 34 counts of falsifying business records in the first degree in relation to hush money payments made to adult entertainment star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential election.
The hush money trial will center around allegations that Trump falsified his business records to hide reimbursement payments made to Michael Cohen, his former attorney.
Cohen was provided with reimbursement payments after he had arranged hush money payments to people such as Daniels to bury negative stories about Trump.
Former President Donald Trump arrives at Manhattan criminal court with his legal team ahead of the start of jury selection in New York on April 15, 2024. (Jabin Botsford/Pool Photo via AP)
As Pecker takes the stand on Monday, he will reportedly “recount” multiple conversations he had with Trump “about the hush money,” according to the source.
The trial will also bring up hush money payments made to former Playboy model Karen McDougal and a “onetime doorman” to Trump who alleged that the former president had fathered a child out of wedlock.
Pecker was reportedly able to buy the silence of the doorman and buy the rights to McDougal’s story, only to have it killed.
After learning about Daniels’ potentially damaging story about Trump, the National Enquirer contacted Cohen, who said he arranged to pay the porn star $130,000 for her silence.
Cohen has pled guilty to arranging deals to pay both Daniels and McDougal for their silence and has claimed he acted at Trump’s direction.
Trump is currently under a gag order that prevents him from speaking about witnesses and counsel in the case, with the exception of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
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