AP Explains: Former National Enquirer publisher finishes testimony at Trump trial

(27 Apr 2024)

FOR CLEAN VERSION SEE STORY NUMBER: 4491105

RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS - MUST CREDIT ELIZABETH WILLIAMS
New York - 26 April 2024
1. STILL Donald Trump, far left, and defense attorney Todd Blanche, second from left, listen as defense attorney Emil Bove cross examines David Pecker on the witness stand

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York - 26 April 2024
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Sisak, The Associated Press:
"Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker was on the witness stand at Donald Trump's criminal hush money trial for the fourth and final day on Friday. This was really an opportunity for Trump's lawyers to dig in on what Pecker has been saying all week, when prosecutors were questioning him. They got Pecker to acknowledge that the quote hush money cover up, involving catching kill, the way that tabloid newspapers would find stories and then suppress them by buying the rights to them, that was not unique to Trump."
++WHITE FLASH++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Sisak, The Associated Press:
"On cross-examination, Pecker, acknowledged that he looked out for other people, celebrities, Arnold Schwarzenegger, that he used stories about famous people to leverage them to do other things that he wanted, like interviews and cover shoots. But when prosecutors had a chance to question Pecker again, they elicited testimony from him that this was the only time the National Enquirer had ever worked on behalf of a political candidate, a presidential candidate."

POOL
New York - 26 April 2024
4. VARIOUS STILLS of Donald Trump in the courtroom with attorneys

++WHITE FLASH++
SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Sisak, Associated Press:
5. When asked if this had happened before, Pecker said no. Donald Trump was the only one."

POOL
6. STILL of Donald Trump speaking to reporters outside courtroom

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York - 26 April 2024
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Michael Sisak, The Associated Press:
"The trial will resume on Tuesday. Monday is an off day. And it is a busy day. Donald Trump, in addition to hearing more testimony in court, will be the subject of another hearing where prosecutors allege he has violated his gag order four more times. He has the weekend and Monday and then he's back in court on Tuesday."

STORYLINE:
Defense lawyers in Donald Trump’s hush money trial dug Friday into assertions of the former publisher of the National Enquirer and his efforts to protect Trump from negative stories during the 2016 election.

David Pecker returned to the witness stand for the fourth day as defense attorneys tried to poke holes in his testimony, which has described helping bury embarrassing stories Trump feared could hurt his campaign.

Pecker has painted a tawdry portrait of “catch and kill” tabloid schemes — catching a potentially damaging story by buying the rights to it and then killing it through agreements that prevent the paid person from telling the story to anyone else.

The prosecution later called to the stand Rhona Graff, Trump’s former longtime executive assistant who has been described as his “gatekeeper,” and Gary Farro, a private client adviser who previously worked at First Republic, which was used by former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen. Farro will continue his testimony Tuesday when the trial resumes, with Monday being a long-scheduled day off.

Testimony from the prosecution's three witnesses capped a consequential week in the criminal cases the former president is facing as he vies to reclaim the White House in November.




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[zachariahbarber]

AP... Should be called assinine propaganda