Former National Enquirer CEO Testifies at Trump Trial, Admits Suppressing Story to Help Campaign
In a shocking turn of events at Donald Trump’s criminal trial, former National Enquirer CEO, David Pecker, testified that he suppressed a story about an alleged affair to boost Trump’s 2016 presidential bid. Pecker, 72, admitted that it would have been “National Enquirer gold” to publish the story of former Playboy model Karen McDougal’s claim of an affair with Trump, but he chose not to run it to avoid hurting Trump’s chances of winning over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
During his testimony, Pecker revealed that he worked with Trump’s campaign to suppress allegations of adultery and paid for the rights to two stories he never published, a practice known as “catch and kill.” He also alerted Trump about porn star Stormy Daniels looking to sell her story of a sexual encounter with him.
The trial accuses Trump, 77, of falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to Stormy Daniels, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Pecker’s testimony was followed by witnesses Rhona Graff, Trump’s former business assistant, and banker Gary Farro, who provided further evidence to support the prosecution’s case.
Trump’s lawyer, Emil Bove, attempted to undermine Pecker’s credibility during cross-examination, questioning the accuracy of his testimony and highlighting similar checkbook journalism practices involving other public figures like Arnold Schwarzenegger. The trial is set to resume on Tuesday, with potential consequences for Trump’s legal troubles and political future.