CNN
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Former American Media Inc. chairman David Pecker took jurors in Donald Trump’s hush cash case inside how he paid for Karen McDougal’s story to maintain her quiet about her alleged affair with Trump – and the way his resolution to not pay for Stormy Daniels’ story led to Michael Cohen finally paying for it.
Prosecutors on Thursday wrapped up their direct testimony with Pecker, who was on the stand for 3 days describing intimately how he labored with Trump and Cohen to purchase up damaging tales about Trump all through the 2016 marketing campaign. His testimony laid the muse for the remainder of the Manhattan district attorney’s case towards Trump that focuses on the fee to Daniels.
The previous president, who has denied affairs with each McDougal and Daniels and pleaded not responsible on this case, didn’t need to be within the downtown Manhattan courtroom on Thursday. However Judge Juan Merchan final week rejected his request to be in Washington for Supreme Court docket arguments on presidential immunity – so Trump as an alternative went to a New York marketing campaign cease Thursday morning, and he attacked the case when he left the courtroom on the finish of the day, whereas calling the testimony “breathtaking and superb.”
On Thursday, Merchan didn’t concern his ruling on whether or not Trump has violated the choose’s gag order. However prosecutors offered 4 extra examples to the choose of alleged violations – together with one when he commented on Pecker Thursday morning earlier than he went to courtroom.
Trump’s attorneys started their cross-examination of Pecker Thursday afternoon and can proceed on Friday.
Listed here are the takeaways from Thursday within the hush cash trial:
Pecker’s testimony included the nuts and bolts of how AMI paid McDougal on Trump’s behalf, Pecker’s personal conversations with Trump concerning the catch-and-kill deal and the fallout when her story turned public.
Pecker’s testimony to prosecutors spanned greater than seven hours over three days. He described how he put up the cash for a catch-and-kill scheme to suppress McDougal’s story – and it was Pecker’s refusal to pay for Daniels’ story that led to Michael Cohen, Trump’s then-fixer, doling out $130,000 himself.
Pecker additionally testified that he and his high editor initially alerted Trump and Cohen to the truth that Daniels was procuring her story, and that he refused Cohen’s efforts to get him to purchase Daniels’ story, too.
After Trump was elected, Pecker testified that Trump requested him no less than twice how McDougal was doing, together with at what Pecker described as a “thanks dinner” on the White Home in 2017.
“As we walked out, President Trump requested me, ‘How’s Karen doing, how’s Karen doing?’ So, I mentioned, ‘She’s doing effectively, she’s quiet, every thing’s going good.’” Pecker mentioned.
Pecker additionally described how Trump was offended when the McDougal story went public. Trump known as him on November 5, 2016 – three days earlier than election day – when the Wall Road Journal revealed a narrative concerning the AMI settlement.
Pecker mentioned that Trump was very upset after they spoke, saying, “How might this occur? I assumed you had this beneath management.”
Pecker additionally obtained a name from Trump after McDougal was interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper in March 2018.
Pecker informed Trump on the decision that he had amended McDougal’s settlement on chatting with different media. Trump was offended, Pecker testified.
“He was very upset, he couldn’t perceive why I did it,” Pecker mentioned.
Merchan had spent Tuesday morning listening to arguments on Trump’s alleged violation of the gag order – which limits the previous president from publicly discussing witnesses, the jury, the district legal professional’s workers or Merchan’s household – however he didn’t concern a ruling on Thursday when courtroom got here again into session.
As a substitute, prosecutors submitted one other movement to carry Trump in contempt for added violations of the gag order over the previous three days – together with feedback he made Thursday morning.
Prosecutor Chris Conroy cited Trump’s feedback at his occasion in New York Metropolis the place he spoke about Pecker and mentioned that he was “good.”
“This can be a message to Pecker. Be good. It’s a message to others,” Conroy mentioned.
Merchan introduced on the finish of the day that he would maintain a listening to on that movement subsequent Wednesday – the day that courtroom is meant to be darkish for the Trump trial.
That probably means Trump should spend Wednesday afternoon in a downtown Manhattan courtroom, quite than having a full day to go away New York to marketing campaign – or to golf, as Trump did this Wednesday at his membership in Bedminster, CNN’s Kristen Holmes reported.
Trump has two marketing campaign occasions scheduled for subsequent Wednesday. However it seems that Trump might be required to be in courtroom for the two:15 p.m. listening to except Merchan waives his look.
Whereas Merchan can solely nice Trump $1,000 per violation – or jail him for as much as 30 days – forcing him to seem in courtroom on what’s presupposed to be an off day might turn into one other method for Merchan to take motion towards the previous president’s gag order transgressions.
Trump’s attorneys had requested for his look Thursday to be waived so he might attend the Supreme Court docket arguments on presidential immunity. The choose denied that request.
In Washington on Thursday, the Supreme Court docket appeared ready to reject Trump’s claims of sweeping immunity and the broad protections he has sought to close down his federal election subversion case, however the justices additionally appeared keen to embrace a outcome that would jeopardize the power to carry a trial in that case earlier than the November election.
Leaving the Manhattan courthouse on Thursday, Trump additionally commented on the Supreme Court docket case.
“I used to be pressured to be right here, and I’m glad I used to be as a result of it was a really fascinating day in a sure method,” Trump mentioned. “However the US Supreme Court docket had a monumental listening to on immunity and the immunity having to do with presidential immunity. I feel it was made clear, I hope it was made clear, that the president has to have immunity, otherwise you don’t have a president, or at most you possibly can say it will be a ceremonial president.”
Pecker agrees in cross-examination that suppressing tales was ‘normal working process’
Trump’s legal professional Emil Bove cross-examined Pecker for about an hour Thursday.
Quizzing Pecker with rapid-fire main questions, Bove bought the witness to substantiate to the jury that Trump’s symbiotic relationship with Pecker and his tabloids was commonplace and lengthy pre-dated Trump’s run for workplace.
Pecker confirmed supply agreements like those used to suppress tales from McDougal and former Trump Tower doorman Dino Sajudin are “normal working process” for AMI to present the corporate management of how the data is perhaps launched, if in any respect.
Pecker additionally acknowledged that Trump was understood to be a high vendor for AMI publications.
Particularly across the time of “The Movie star Apprentice,” firm analysis confirmed that Trump might drive probably the most gross sales for the Nationwide Enquirer.
“So, you ran articles about President Trump as a result of it was good for enterprise?” Bove requested.
“That’s right,” Pecker mentioned.
Pecker additionally confirmed that he had an ordinary follow of not publishing damaging tales about Trump because the Nineteen Nineties.
“As a result of it was not good for enterprise?” Bove requested.
“Sure,” Pecker mentioned.
Bove confirmed with Pecker that “many politicians work with the media to advertise their picture” and “together with generally to win elections.”
Bove’s cross-examination of Pecker elicited testimony about different celebrities whom Pecker had bought tales about so that they wouldn’t be revealed, providing an enchanting glimpse into the movie star tabloid world whereas he was chairman of the writer of the Nationwide Enquirer.
Trump’s legal professional sought to determine with Pecker that AMI used “checkbook journalism” to regulate narratives within the press and fostered mutually helpful relationships with a number of celebrities – not simply Trump.
Bove walked by Pecker’s earlier testimony with prosecutors a couple of catch-and-kill deal with Arnold Schwarzenegger shortly earlier than he introduced his run for California governor. Bove said that 30 or 40 girls ended up coming to AMI with tales about Schwarzenegger, and Pecker confirmed the assertion.
Pecker additionally mentioned that he helped agent Ari Emanuel get management over a narrative concerning the actor Mark Wahlberg, in addition to suppress a damaging story about allegations involving his brother, Rahm Emanuel, the previous Chicago mayor and present US ambassador to Japan.
Bove additionally had Pecker affirm that his firm bought photographs of golfer Tiger Woods “to leverage them towards Woods to get him within the journal.”
CNN has reached out for remark from Schwarzenegger, Rahm Emanuel, Ari Emanuel, Wahlberg and Woods.