Pecker Back On The Stand As Trump Trial Resumes

04.25.24 | 4:33 pm

What to know

Prosecutors were working through questioning David Pecker on Monday and Tuesday. They had outlined how he, Michael Cohen, and Trump developed a "catch and kill" scheme ahead of the 2016 election. Pecker would act as the campaign's "eyes and ears" in tabloidland, identify negative stories, and work with Cohen to suppress them.
Pecker testified that he assumed, throughout, that Cohen was working with him to do his boss's bidding.
Pecker's story stopped just before Stormy Daniels came onto the scene. That may be where we pick up today.
Judge Juan Merchan also held a hearing Tuesday on whether to hold Trump in contempt for violations of the case's gag order. He may rule on that today or tomorrow.

Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial resumed this morning at 9:30 a.m. Prosecutors are continuing to question former tabloid executive David Pecker, who will then be cross-examined by Donald Trump’s lawyers.

Send Tips

Josh Kovensky is an investigative reporter for Talking Points Memo, based in New York. He previously worked for the Kyiv Post in Ukraine, covering politics, business, and corruption there.

Show Comments

Notable Replies

knut says:

April 25, 2024

A member of the Leopards Eating Faces Party eagerly waiting for the trial to resume.
mondfledermaus says:

April 25, 2024

Can we fast forward to the part where Trump is condemned to fifty lashes?
blaneyboy324 says:

April 25, 2024

I’m immersed in all this the same way I was immersed in Watergate. Trump’s sins are so much worse than anything Nixon did.

The walls seem to be closing in on him finally, but I’m trying to rein in my expectations because he’s dodged so many bullets before—access Hollywood tape, Stormy Daniels revelations, Mueller investigation, impeachment 1, January 6, impeachment 2. He might squirm out of this too.
dicktater says:

April 25, 2024

Since Pecker’s company already paid $175K FEC fine for illegal campaign contributions in the McDougal case…which I don’t understand because I thought it was Chump who paid her off (or ALSO paid her off) did the National Enquirer get slapped for the Stormy Daniels payments? If not, why not?

And another point…is this trial solely about the Stormy Daniels payments only, or do the McDougal and Doorman payments also count as instances/charges in these proceedings? If not, why not?

And am I reading this correctly, if National Enquirer got fined for the McDougal instance…as a breach of Federal Campaign Law (fined more than the pay-off, from what I can tell) is that a predicate that the jury cannot ignore that YES, this was all tied up with campaign implications and has already been settled as a campaign violation?
dicktater says:

April 25, 2024

blaneyboy324:

he’s dodged so many bullets before—access Hollywood tape, Stormy Daniels revelations, Mueller investigation, impeachment 1, January 6, impeachment 2. He might squirm out of this too.

Yes those were all tremendous gut punches but what really bothers me most is how many times responsible people fell down on the job and never ever brought a complaint. Or failed to charge him or ANYONE with 100s of campaign and Hatch Act and Obstruction and Witness/Jury/Judge tampering and still ongoing crimes. Then all the times they did go after some low fruit but failed to hold HIM accountable. Now the guy is under indictment for Espionage and he is still working the phones and hosting foreign adversaries. A new crime was just uncovered with Red Curve where he is secretly washing a ton of his legal expenses even while everyone knows what he is doing in plain sight to launder all his legal expenses.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

159 more replies

Participants

Continue Discussion