David Pecker to Testify in Trump’s Hush Money Trial

David Pecker, former National Enquirer publisher and longtime friend of Donald Trump, is set to testify in Trump’s Manhattan hush money trial, a pivotal moment for prosecutors alleging that Trump, with Pecker’s assistance, sought to quash pre-2016 election affair allegations.

Pecker pledged to Trump during his 2015 presidential bid to be his “eyes and ears,” identifying negative stories, publishing others about rivals, and orchestrating “catch and kill” schemes to silence damaging claims, prosecutors say. This included alerting Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, about Stormy Daniels’ attempt to sell her story of a 2006 encounter with Trump, leading to a hush money payment, according to both Cohen and prosecutors.

Pecker, who led National Enquirer’s parent company, AMI, until 2020, allegedly facilitated payments to silence allegations, including $30,000 to a doorman for unproven claims about Trump and $150,000 to Karen McDougal for her affair story, never published, labeled as “catch and kill.”

Pecker received immunity for aiding prosecutors against Cohen, and AMI agreed to a non-prosecution deal in exchange for admitting payment to McDougal. While these payments are not part of the trial, they could support the claim that the $130,000 Cohen paid Daniels, reimbursed by Trump’s company as legal fees, was an unreported campaign expense, prosecutors argue.

Pecker is expected to reveal details of his discussions with Trump regarding the cover-ups, adding to the testimonies of Cohen, Daniels, and former Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks.

The trial, marking the first-ever criminal prosecution of a former president, began with jury selection. Prosecutors aim to prove that Trump’s reimbursements to Cohen, recorded as legal fees, were linked to his political ambitions, exceeding federal contribution limits and violating campaign finance laws. Cohen has admitted guilt to campaign finance violations, asserting he acted at Trump’s direction.

If convicted, Trump could face up to four years in state prison and fines for each felony, though a prison term seems unlikely given his lack of prior convictions. Trump denies the affair allegations and has pleaded not guilty, claiming the case was politically motivated to harm his re-election bid, a claim for which he has provided no evidence.