Trump trial witness details hush money deals with Playboy model and porn actress
The first criminal trial of a former president resumed Thursday with a key witness against Donald Trump who's expected to describe details of the hush money agreement that was struck on his behalf with porn star Stormy Daniels and another request by prosecutors to have Trump held in criminal contempt. David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, is expected to outline his role in Daniels' agreement.
The first criminal trial of a former president resumed Thursday with a key witness against Donald Trump who's expected to describe details of the hush money agreement that was struck on his behalf with porn star Stormy Daniels and another request by prosecutors to have Trump held in criminal contempt.
David Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, is expected to outline his role in Daniels' agreement. His testimony so far has detailed another hush money deal involving Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who claims she had a monthslong affair with Trump. McDougal alleges the affair began in 2006, the year Daniels alleges she had a sexual encounter with him. Trump has denied both women's claims.
Pecker said Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard interviewed McDougal when she expressed an interest in coming forward in 2016 and believed her story, but said she had no corroborating evidence. Pecker said he believed her story too, after he spoke to Trump about her on the phone. "He said she is a nice girl," Pecker recounted.
Trump lawyer Michael Cohen called him the next day and told him he should “go ahead and buy the story” from her. Pecker said he'd have Howard negotiate the terms but asked who would pay for it. He said Cohen responded that "the boss will take care of it,” referring to Trump.
Pecker added that Cohen wouldn't have the authority to spend any money without Trump's approval.
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