Ex-Enquirer publisher drops bombshell testimony in Trump hush money trial
David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, delivered a bombshell testimony on Tuesday, revealing the inner workings of a scheme to suppress damaging stories during Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, News.Az reports citing Anadolu Agency.
The criminal hush money trial involving the former US president saw its first witness take the stand in the US courtroom on Tuesday.
Pecker disclosed to the New York court that the Enquirer engaged in a practice known as "catch and kill," wherein he paid individuals with potentially damaging stories about Trump and then buried those stories, preventing them from reaching the public eye.
His testimony shed light on payments made to two individuals who had stories of Trump's alleged sexual misconduct.
"When someone’s running for public office like this, it is very common for these women to call up a magazine like the National Enquirer to try to sell their stories," Pecker said during his testimony.
Pecker also revealed the decision to suppress these stories stemmed from a 2015 meeting with Trump himself.
He claimed to have assured Trump of favorable coverage in the Enquirer and pledged to shield him from damaging revelations.
One such payment involved former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who allegedly had a relationship with Trump in 2006 and 2007 but the former US president denied having an affair with McDougal.
Pecker asserted that he purchased McDougal's story after Trump declined to do so himself.
Another payment was made to a Trump Tower doorman, Dino Sajudin, who falsely claimed Trump fathered a child with a maid.
"I made the decision to buy the story because of the potential embarrassment it would have to the campaign and Mr. Trump," Pecker noted.
David Pecker is due to testify again when the trial continues on Thursday.
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