David Pecker says he killed the story of Trump affair

NEW YORK (NewsNation) — The criminal hush money trial against former President Donald Trump resumed Friday with the defense digging into an account of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his alleged efforts to protect the former president from negative stories during the 2016 election.

Testifying for a third day, Pecker, 72, agreed with a prosecutor who asked whether it would have been “National Enquirer gold” to publish the story of former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s saying she had an affair with Trump in 2006 and 2007.

But Pecker said he opted not to run the story after paying McDougal for it because it would have hurt the Republican Trump’s chances of winning the election over Democrat Hillary Clinton.

“You killed the story because it helped the candidate, Donald Trump?” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked him.

Pecker said yes.

The exchange bolstered previous testimony in which Pecker said he worked with Trump’s campaign to suppress allegations of adultery at a time when the then-presidential candidate was facing multiple accusations of sexual misbehavior.

Pecker was the first witness in the case, which accuses Trump, 77, of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Trump has pleaded not guilty.

Pecker testified his tabloid paid for the rights to two such stories he never published, a tabloid practice referred to as “catch and kill.” Pecker also alerted Trump that Daniels was looking to sell her story of a sexual encounter with Trump.

The defense argues the hush money payment was made to spare Trump’s family embarrassment, not to protect his presidential campaign. Trump, a businessman whose first public office was the White House, denies an encounter took place.

After Pecker’s testimony, prosecutors called two more witnesses to boost their case.

Rhona Graff, who worked as Trump’s business assistant from 1987 to 2021, testified she once saw Daniels at Trump Tower before he ran for president. She said she heard Trump say he was interested in casting her on “The Apprentice,” the reality TV show he hosted.

She said the email addresses of Daniels and McDougal were stored in the computer systems of Trump’s company.

Trump shook her hand when she left the witness stand.

Banker Gary Farro testified that Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, set up accounts with him shortly before the election for two shell companies, including one that was used to pay Daniels.

The trial was scheduled to resume Tuesday.

What happens if Trump is convicted?

Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records and arranging hush money payments to Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. These payments were allegedly aimed at concealing a sexual encounter Trump is accused of having with Daniels.

The charges center on a $130,000 payment allegedly made through Cohen shortly before the 2016 election.

Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and said he will testify if needed.

The charges are punishable by up to four years in prison — though it’s unclear if the judge would seek to put Trump behind bars. A conviction would not preclude Trump from becoming president again, but because it is a state case, he wouldn’t be able to pardon himself if found guilty.

The Hill and Reuters contributed to this report.