Prosecutor Conroy: We have another order to show cause, video clips including of what the defendant said just outside this courtroom in his press conferences or whatever they are... He said, Cohen got caught lying. When are they coming to look at that?
Defendant said, the judge picked the jury so quickly, 95% Democrats... Then an interview on a Pennsylvania TV station, "David Pecker, I don't know exactly what he'll be testifying about." He's talking about witnesses.
This morning the defendant did a press event on 49th Street and Park Avenue, he said David Pecker is a nice guy - this just before his testimony, it's a message to him and other witnesses, Be nice. Find him in contempt.
Justice Merchan: Please bring in the witness. [It's done] Mr. Pecker, I remind you you're still under oath. Bring in the jury.
[Jury enters]
Prosecutor: Let's resume on Ms. McDougal.
Pecker: She was 47 years old, and said she had sexual relationship with Mr Trump
Prosecutor: Did you have a three-way call with Dylan Howard and Michael Cohen that day?
Pecker: Yes. Immediately Michael Cohen, It's not true. Which is something that he always said. Then he said, I'll check it out and get back to you.
Prosecutor: Did Michael Cohen say to buy the story?
Pecker: Yes. Dylan said ABC wanted to buy the story, they offered her a slot on Dancing with the Stars, and a Mexican group wanted to buy it for $1 million.
Pecker: Dylan said Ms. McDougal didn't want to be the next Monica Lewinsky. She wanted to restart her career. She'd had a cover with us, and Dylan said she'd like to bring to story to us, American Media. Her attorney was Keith Davidson. I thought, we should buy it
Pecker said that the tip about Karen McDougal came from her attorney Keith Davidson, whom he describes as "one of the major sources for [then-Enquirer editor in chief] Dylan Howard."
"So I thought that this story should be purchased."
Prosecutor: You had a conversation with Donald Trump about this?
Pecker: Yes. I was an an investors' meeting in New Jersey. The assistant said, 👉🏼There's a call for you from Donald Trump. I took it. Mr. Trump said to me, I spoke to Michael, Karen is a nice girl
Pecker: Mr. Trump told me he doesn't buy stories because it always gets out.
Prosecution: Did Michael Cohen then call you?
Pecker: The next day. He said, You should go ahead and buy this story. I said, I'll have Dylan Howard negotiate, but who's going to pay?
Prosecutor: Who did you understand the Boss to be?
👉🏼Pecker: Donald Trump. I told Dylan Howard to go negotiate to buy the story.
Prosecutor: Did you discuss terms?
Pecker: $150,000 for lifetime rights
Pecker: She also wanted to appear in our magazine. She had a problem with her breast implants and wanted to write about it in Shape magazine, and to anchor red carpet events for Radar.
Prosecutor: How often did you speak with Michael Cohen?
Pecker: Daily.
Pecker: I told Michael Cohen, Why should I pay? I just paid $30,000 for the doorman story. But who is going to reimburse me $150,000? He said, 👉🏼The Boss will take care of it.
Prosecutor: People's 173A, start with page 1. Texts with Dylan Howard.
Breaking: David Pecker says Michael Cohen didn't have authorization "to buy or acquire or spend any money" on Karen McDougal's story "without Mr. Trump’s approval."
David Pecker says, back in 2002 and 2003, he was worried about paying to kill a story because of situation with Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In talking about the Schwarzenegger situation, Pecker said he wanted in the Trump case to make sure the Karen McDougal situation could not be characterized as a campaign contribution.
This is the first time that we've heard any participant in the alleged conspiracy was concerned about campaign finance law violations.
David Pecker says Trump wanted all content the National Enquirer developed and retained on Trump — including old files.
Pecker says Michael Cohen told him that if he "got hit by a bus or the company was sold, he did not want someone else to potentially publish those stories."
Pecker: "Michael Cohen told me that the feedback on the Access Hollywood tape was very, very damaging to the campaign. And everybody was very concerned about what impact it would have."
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass, reading texts between former National Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard and Howard's unnamed relative:
Howard: "He's just been named President-elect."
Howard: "At least if he wins I will be pardoned for electoral fraud."
Prosecutor: & the Access Hollywood tape?
Pecker: A conversation between Mr. Trump & Billy Bush, Mr. Trump said you can grab a woman by the genitals. It was damaging for the campaign...
Prosecutor: What's this email?
Pecker: About a post on Radar, take it down
Prosecutor: Plz read it.
Pecker: Howard wrote to Michael Cohen that the Playboy Man story was on Radar before we bought the site. It was also sent to Hope Hicks.
Prosecutor: Did you ever email with Donald Trump?
Pecker: Never.
Prosecutor: When did you hear about Stormy Daniels?
Pecker: I was having dinner with my wife and I got a call from Dylan Howard - he said Keith Davidson and Ms. Rodriguez, an agent for those type of celebrities, that Stormy was selling a story about sex with Trump
31/ Just got back, trying to catch up. I caught this from Griffin:
At a private January 2017 meeting, Trump asked David Pecker, "How's our girl doing?" Pecker said he told Trump, "She's writing her articles. She's quiet. She's fine."
Trump replied, "I want to thank you for handling the McDougal situation and the doorman situation."
David Pecker says Trump called him, upset, after the WSJ reporting about the burying of Karen McDougal's story.
First, "Cohen texted saying the Boss wants to speak to me; then, Trump called me."
He said Trump called saying, "How did this happen? I thought this was under control. Either you or one of your people leaked this story!"
Morning session ended with David Pecker stating that Trump wanted to kill all the stories of his affairs for his campaign, not to shield his family. When asked why he thought that, he said Trump never mentioned Melania or his family - only his election.
After Trump was pres-elect, Pecker got a call summonsing him to Trump tower. He went.
When he arrived in Trump’s office, Trump was in meeting w Sean Spicer, James Comey & Reince Priebus. They were updating him on a shooting in Florida.
Trump introduced Pecker to Comey, Spicer, and Priebus. Here’s David Pecker, Trump said. "He’s the owner and publisher of the National Enquirer, and he probably knows more than anyone in this room.”
Note how important this detail is. It is PECKER, a Trump ally, saying that this was about the campaign, meaning this critical detail will not rest on Cohen.
@GottaLaff I hope this nugget--that ABC was buying salacious news stories with offers of a slot on other show--gets some discussion. It seems seedy and gross.
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