David Pecker, the National Enquirer’s former publisher and a longtime friend of Donald Trump, was the first witness to take the stand in the former president’s hush money trial on Monday. Prosecutors say he met with Trump and Michael Cohen at Trump Tower in August 2015 and agreed to help the campaign identify negative stories about him. Pecker took the stand just after noon, sporting a charcoal suit, yellow tie and glasses. The 72-year-old now consults, including for his old employer, the company formerly known as American Media Inc.
Quick Read
- David Pecker Testifies: Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker began his testimony in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, discussing the basics of tabloid journalism and the practice of paying for stories. Detailed testimony about his interactions with Trump is expected to continue.
- Public Access to Historic Trial: The trial, marking the first criminal case against a former U.S. president, is now open to public spectators and the media, providing a rare glimpse into the courtroom proceedings.
- Early Court Adjournment: Proceedings were adjourned early to accommodate an alternate juror’s emergency, with plans to adjourn at 2 p.m. the following day due to Passover.
- Pecker’s Role Highlighted: As the first witness, Pecker’s involvement in what prosecutors describe as a scheme to suppress negative information about Trump during the 2016 election is under scrutiny. His testimony covered his editorial control at the National Enquirer and the use of “checkbook journalism.”
- Light-Hearted Moment During Testimony: Despite the serious nature of the trial, a light-hearted moment occurred when Pecker was asked to recall old phone numbers, leading to laughter in the courtroom.
- Focus on Editorial Practices: Pecker detailed the National Enquirer’s editorial practices, including limits on spending for stories and his final say over celebrity coverage, emphasizing the importance of the magazine’s cover.
- Defense’s Closing Remarks: In their final remarks during opening statements, Trump’s defense team called for jurors to apply common sense and scrutinized the prosecution’s framing of the case as a scheme, suggesting that the actions described were not illegal.
The Associated Press has the story:
Tabloid publisher David Pecker testified in Trump hush money trial
Newslooks- NEW YORK- (AP)
Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker took the witness stand in Donald Trump‘s criminal hush money trial on Monday to testify about his role in what prosecutors say was a scheme to suppress negative information about Trump ahead of the 2016 election.
On the trial’s first day, Pecker, 72, explained the basics of tabloid journalism and said his company often paid for stories. He did not discuss his interactions with Trump but is expected to return on Tuesday for more questioning.
Pecker is the first witness in the first-ever trial of a former U.S. president. New York prosecutors say Trump broke the law and corrupted the election by falsifying business records to cover up a payment to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep quiet.
Trump has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers say he did not commit any crimes.
“There’s nothing wrong with trying to influence an election. It’s called democracy. They put something sinister on this idea, as if it’s a crime,” Trump lawyer Todd Blanche said.
Blanche spoke shortly after prosecutors told jurors that Trump broke the law by deceiving voters.
“This case is about a conspiracy and a cover-up, an illegal conspiracy to undermine the integrity of a presidential election, and then the steps that Donald Trump took to conceal that illegal election fraud,” prosecutor Matthew Colangelo said.
Colangelo told the jury that they would hear Trump working out the details of the scheme in recorded conversations.
EVERYDAY PEOPLE GETTING AN UP CLOSE VIEW OF TRIAL FROM INSIDE
While courtroom access to Donald Trump’s hush money trial was restricted to a handful of reporters during jury selection, the start of opening statements has given members of the public a chance to witness the first criminal trial of a former president up close.
Roughly a dozen members of the public were allowed into the proceedings on Monday. Some had lined up before dawn to get their chance at witnessing history. But not everyone.
“I was planning on going to work, then as I was walking by, I saw all the police,” said Monroe Clinton, a programmer, who added that had not been following the trial closely. “I told my co-workers, ‘Hey I just saw the Trump trial is happening.’ The line was quite short, so I decided to go on in.”
Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and a former aide in the Trump administration, was seen waiting in line to get into the overflow room, a room adjacent to the main courtroom where the trial is being shown on monitors.
COURT ADJOURNS EARLY
Court has adjourned for the day in Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York.
Judge Juan M. Merchan had originally planned to adjourn at 2 p.m. because of Passover but agreed to adjourn early to accommodate an alternate juror’s emergency dental appointment.
Merchan plans to adjourn court on Tuesday at 2 p.m. for the holiday.
TESTIMONY MARKED BY LIGHTHEARTED MOMENT
He’s the first person ever to testify at a criminal trial of a former U.S. president, and David Pecker is doing so under subpoena, with his lawyer in the courtroom.
But the weighty occasion still had a lighthearted moment on Monday afternoon.
It came when a prosecutor asked Pecker to recite parts of phone numbers he’d had during the time period when the allegations in Donald Trump’s hush money case took place — from 2015 to about 2017. It was a question that might have been asked in order to authenticate phone records later on.
But after Pecker rattled off the closing digits of four different cellphone and office phone numbers from memory, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass assured him, “This isn’t a quiz.”
Pecker responded with a cackling laugh.
NATIONAL ENQUIRER EMPLOYED ‘CHECKBOOK JOURNALISM,’ PECKER TESTIFIES
David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, testified Monday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial about the publication’s use of “checkbook journalism,” a practice that entails paying a source for a story.
Pecker said he “gave a number to the editors that they could not spend more than $10,000” on a story without getting his approval.
He went on to describe the publication’s coverage meetings — in which he had final say over celebrity stories — and his editorial philosophy.
“The only thing that is important is the cover of a magazine,” Pecker said.
DEFENSE ASKS JURORS TO USE ‘COMMON SENSE’ IN FINAL REMARKS
Defense attorneys concluded their opening statements in Donald Trump’s hush money trial by downplaying expected testimony from porn actor Stormy Daniels, as well as emphasizing that prosecutors have not charged him with conspiracy despite describing the allegations against him as such in their opening statements.
“There’s nothing illegal about what you will hear happened among the National Enquirer, AMI, David Pecker and Donald Trump,” Blanche said, adding: “It’s not a scheme, unless a scheme means something that doesn’t matter, that’s not illegal.”
Blanche concluded by urging jurors to pay attention to all of the testimony and to use common sense, observing, “We’re all New Yorkers here.”
“If you do that, there will be a very swift ‘not guilty’ verdict,” Blanche said.
Court subsequently took a break and Trump left the courtroom without speaking to reporters in the hallway.
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