NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump's defense team in his hush-money case said Friday that testimony from the prosecution's chief witness and helping a tabloid bury embarrassing stories about Trump will help Republicans. They asked him to overturn his explanation that it was part of a plan. 2016 campaign.
Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker used a catch-and-kill scheme as his defense tried to poke holes in his testimony about the tabloid's efforts to protect his old friend from harmful coverage. , returned to the witness stand on the fourth day. scheme.
Mr. Pecker's testimony is crucial to prosecutors who argue that the effort was a means to illegally influence the 2016 election. Under cross-examination, Trump's lawyers argued that Trump's dealings with Pecker were designed to protect Trump, his reputation and his family, not his campaign. trying to prove it.
Mr. Pecker testified to the National Enquirer in August 2015 that he and Mr. Trump and then-Trump attorney Michael Cohen hatched a plan to support Mr. Trump's presidential campaign.
However, under questioning from President Trump's lawyer Emile Bove, Pecker said that the term “catch and kill,” which describes the practice of tabloid newspapers buying the rights to stories so that they never see the light of day, was used at that meeting. admitted that it was not mentioned. Pecker said the meeting also didn't discuss “economic aspects,” such as the National Enquirer paying people for the rights to articles on Trump's behalf.
Bove also told Pecker about statements Pecker made to federal prosecutors in 2018, which defense attorneys said were “inconsistent” with the former publisher's testimony earlier this week. Pecker previously testified that President Trump thanked him for helping bury the two buildings during a 2017 visit to the White House.
But according to a memo Bove cited in court, Pecker previously told federal authorities that Trump did not express any gratitude to him during their meeting.
Pecker stuck to the story he told in court. “The FBI has indicated that what someone is writing here may be wrong,” he said, adding, “I know the truth.”
Pecker's cross-examination caps a critical week in the criminal case facing the former president as he seeks to retake the White House in November.
At the same time, jurors heard testimony Thursday in Manhattan Supreme Court. indicated a high probability of rejection Trump has widely claimed immunity from prosecution in the 2020 election interference scandal in Washington. However, the high court, which has a majority of conservatives, appears to be moving toward limiting the timing of prosecutions of former presidents. Ruling that could favor Trump That trial could be postponed until after the November election.
In New York — President Trump's first Four criminal cases go to trial — Presumptive Republican presidential candidate He faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. It was aimed at curbing negative stories surfacing in the final days of the 2016 election campaign related to hush money payments.
Trump denies any wrongdoing. Before entering court Friday, he told reporters he believed Thursday's hearing went “very well” for the defense, adding: “The case should be over.”
On the witness stand, Mr. Pecker spent several days explaining how he and the tabloids spread rumors and fabricated flashy articles slandering President Trump's opponents and, just as importantly, shady stories about Mr. Trump. He explained that he used his connections to suppress him.
The charges center on a $130,000 payment made by Trump's company to his then-lawyer Michael Cohen.He paid that amount on Trump's behalf to keep porn actor stormy daniels She also never went public with her claims about sexual encounters with Trump a decade ago. President Trump has denied that any such contact occurred.
On the witness stand, Mr. Pecker spent several days explaining how he and the tabloids spread rumors and fabricated flashy articles slandering President Trump's opponents and, just as importantly, shady stories about Mr. Trump. He explained that he used his connections to suppress him.
Ms. Pecker recalled when her editor told her that Daniels' agent was trying to sell her story and that the tabloid could buy it for $120,000. Pecker said she recused herself, noting that the tabloid had already poured $180,000 into the hole of Trump-related catch-and-kill deals. But Pecker told Cohen to buy the article himself to prevent Daniels from going public with his claims, she said.
“I said to Michael, 'My suggestion to you is that you should buy this article and take it off the market. If you don't buy this article and it gets out there, your boss will I think he will be very angry with you.'
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Richer reported from Washington.
