US

Trump lawyer tries to undermine credibility of Enquirer publisher at trial

New York prosecutors have charged Mr Trump with falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to Ms Daniels

Former US president Donald Trump returns to the courtroom during his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City. Photograph: Curtis Means-Pool/Getty Images

Fri Apr 26 2024 - 19:41

Donald Trump’s lawyer sought on Friday to undermine the credibility of a former tabloid publisher who testified at the former president’s criminal trial about his paper’s efforts to bury news that could have damaged Mr Trump’s 2016 White House bid.

In a second day of cross-examination, Mr Trump’s lawyer, Emil Bove, sought to highlight discrepancies in the testimony of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, who has described working with Mr Trump’s campaign to suppress allegations of adultery at a time when the then-presidential candidate was facing multiple accusations of sexual misbehaviour.

Mr Bove asked whether Mr Pecker had inaccurately testified that Mr Trump thanked him at the White House for handling those negative stories. That conflicted with a report by FBI agents who previously interviewed Mr Pecker, which said Mr Trump had not expressed gratitude.

Mr Pecker (72), said the FBI report could be wrong. “I know what I testified to, and I know what I remember,” Mr Pecker told the court’s 12 jurors and six alternates.

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Mr Bove asked Mr Pecker whether his statements aligned with facts contained in an agreement by the Enquirer’s parent company to co-operate with legal authorities to avoid prosecution. Mr Pecker denied any substantial mismatch.

Prosecutors say Mr Pecker’s arrangement with Mr Trump corrupted the 2016 election. Photograph: Dave Sanders/The New York Times via AP, Pool

Mr Pecker is a key witness in the case, which accuses Mr Trump of falsifying business records to cover up a “hush money” payment to porn actor Stormy Daniels shortly before the election.

Mr Pecker has testified that his tabloid paid to “catch and kill” two of those stories and alerted Mr Trump that Ms Daniels was also looking to sell her story of a sexual encounter with Mr Trump.

New York prosecutors have charged Mr Trump with falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment to Ms Daniels. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty and denies the encounter took place.

Mr Bove sought on Thursday to illustrate to the jury that Mr Pecker’schequebook journalism was not confined to Mr Trump.

Under questioning by Mr Bove on Thursday, Mr Pecker said it was normal for celebrities and politicians to curry favour with the Enquirer to get good publicity and that he sought to kill negative stories about other famous figures, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tiger Woods.

He said the Enquirer paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to obtain stories from women who came forward during Schwarzenegger’s 2003 run for California governor to say they had affairs with him.

Mr Pecker said the first time he gave Mr Trump a heads up about a negative story was in 1998 in relation to Marla Maples, his wife at the time.

Prosecutors say Mr Pecker’s arrangement with Mr Trump corrupted the 2016 election. Mr Pecker agreed to co-operate to avoid criminal charges.

In oral arguments on Thursday, justices on the conservative-majority court signalled support that Mr Trump should have some level of protection from criminal charges

Mr Trump is the first former US president to face criminal charges. The trial, which is expected to run through May, could be the only one of his four criminal prosecutions to be completed before his November 5th election rematch with Democratic president Joe Biden.

One of those cases, which charges Mr Trump with trying to overturn his 2020 loss to Mr Biden, has been delayed for months by the US supreme court as it considers Mr Trump’s argument that presidents should be immune for actions they take while in office.

In oral arguments on Thursday, justices on the conservative-majority court signalled support that Mr Trump should have some level of protection from criminal charges.

Justice Juan Merchan, who is hearing the hush money case, has yet to rule on a request by prosecutors to punish Mr Trump for allegedly violating a gag order that bars him from publicly criticising witnesses, some court officials and their relatives.

Justice Merchan said he would hold a hearing next Thursday to examine what prosecutors say are further gag order violations. Mr Trump could be fined $1,000 (€935) for each violation or jailed, though prosecutors say they are not seeking imprisonment at this point. – Reuters

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