Trump’s history-making hush-money trial begins ...

2 min ago
Bove clarifies with Pecker it was standard practice not to publish negative stories about Trump


Bove clarifies with Pecker that dating back to the 1990's it was standard practice "to not publish negative stories about President Trump."

"Yes."
"Because it was not good for business?"
"Yes."


cont:
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-25-24/index.html.

 

NY Court Transcripts

People v Donald J. Trump (Criminal):

• Transcripts
• Evidence
• Decisions, Orders & Media Access

https://ww2.nycourts.gov/press/index.shtml

 

Incredible stuff. And imagine how Trump will blow his gasket when Cohen testifies. He’s going to violate the gag order another 10 times.

 

4 min ago
Bove walks Pecker through his "mutually beneficial" relationship with Trump


Bove also walked Pecker through his "mutually beneficial" relationship with Trump, where Trump provided him with stories and information about "Celebrity Apprentice," and he tipped off Trump to negative stories and printed positive stories about Trump.

"This relationship you have with President Trump is a mutually beneficial relationship. You had similar relationships with other people," Bove said.
"I did," Pecker replied, confirming there were other people he would promote in the National Enquirer and give a heads up about negative stories.
2 min ago
Pecker says he heard the "catch-and-kill" phrase for the first time from the prosecution
"Before this, you had not heard the phrase catch and kill?" Bove asked Pecker, referring to the hush money case investigation.

"That's correct," Pecker responded.

"The first time you had heard the phrase was from a prosecutor right?" Bove asked.

"That's correct," Pecker responded.

More context: The practice of "catch-and-kill" means buying exclusive rights to a story for the express purpose of never publishing the information. It is a tactic that gained widespread notoriety during the 2016 presidential election.

Pecker spent the morning taking the jury through the machinations of the Stormy Daniels' and Karen McDougal's “catch and kill” deal.

1 min ago
Pecker was giving Trump a heads up on negative stories for about 17 years before the election
Pecker confirmed during cross-examination that he has been giving Trump a heads up on negative stories for about 17 years before the election.

"Fair to say, that predated that meeting at Trump Tower in August 2015 by a long time," Bove said.
"Yes," Pecker replied.
"That's almost 17 years prior to the meeting you described in August 2015," Bove said. "Seventeen years of providing President Trump with a heads up about potentially negative publicity."
"Yes," Pecker said.

cont:
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-25-24/index.html.

 

What about Stormy & McDougal if they testify?
I can't even begin to imagine.
Maybe Melania will make a mannequin showing on those says? lol

 

1 min ago
Why the prosecution brought up Pecker's immunity agreement in court

From CNN's Elise Hammond

The Manhattan district attorney’s office discussed the non-prosecution agreement that David Pecker signed with prosecutors in an effort to get ahead of attacks from the defense, according to CNN legal analysts.

Pecker, the former publisher of the National Enquirer, and its parent company, American Media Inc., have been granted immunity in exchange for his testimony. He has been on the stand for the last several days.

The prosecution wants “to be the first ones to point all this information out, so that the defense doesn't do it, because the defense can weaponize it if they bring out for the first time” that a witness has an agreement with prosecutors, CNN legal analyst Elliot Williams said.

The district attorney’s office is likely to argue that Pecker is “laying it all out on the line,” CNN senior legal analyst Elie Honig said, explaining how the prosecution will try to frame the agreement to the jury.

He said prosecutors will say, "He's told you everything, he's got nothing to hide. His incentive right now is to tell the full truth. Otherwise, he's going to lose this agreement with us,” Honig said.
The defense, however, is likely to try to discredit Pecker and argue that he is in the pocket of the prosecution “because they're the ones who gave him a sweetheart deal,” Honig added.



6 min ago
Bove's tactic is to argue Pecker's work for Trump during 2016 election was nothing new
Bove's tactic with his early questioning of Pecker is part of a strategy to argue that the publisher's work helping Trump during the 2016 election was nothing new or out of the ordinary.

Say Wha?
Trump was a few weeks away from the presidential election and the "Hollywood Access "footage and audio had hit the news the beginning of Oct 2016.

cont:
https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-25-24/index.html.

 

Pecker missed Arnold's pregnant housekeepers story...lol
IIRC: Arnold had done some public apologizing to women.
I find Arnold irrelevant to this criminal case'.

3 min ago
Bove questions Pecker about his "catch and kill" deal with Arnold Schwarzenegger


Bove is now walking Pecker through his deal with Arnold Schwarzenegger, which he described earlier today during the prosecution's questioning.

Pecker this morning said he agreed to a "catch and kill" deal with Schwarzenegger in 2003 when Pecker was trying to acquire fitness magazines and shortly before Schwarzenegger announced his run for governor of California.

Earlier today, Bove described how women reached out to him with stories about alleged relationships or alleged sexual harassment after Schwarzenegger announced his run.

Bove in court now stated that 30 or 40 women ended up coming to AMI with stories about Schwarzenegger. Pecker confirmed the statement.

Pecker says he spent "hundreds of thousands of dollars" for stories from women about Arnold Schwarzenegger.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-25-24/index.html.

 

Uh-oh.
The "folded arms"


2 min ago
Trump sitting with folded arms as he watches David Pecker on the stand


Trump has his arms folded across his body as he watches David Pecker answer Bove's questions.


https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-25-24/index.html.

 

3 min ago
Pecker describes his meetings with prosecutors


Pecker said the most recent meeting he had with prosecutors was two or three weeks ago, and he's had about three to five meetings with prosecutors this year.

He said he remembered five to six meetings with federal prosecutors in June and July and August of 2018.

3 min ago
Bove challenges Pecker about timing of Trump Tower 2015 meeting
Bove is now focusing on the Trump Tower meeting in August 2015.

Bove confirms with Pecker that he first told prosecutors the Trump Tower meeting was the first week of August in 2015 — prosecutors corrected Pecker in that meeting telling him Trump had a debate so it couldn't have been then.

Pecker says, "I discovered it was the middle of August."

Bove pokes holes at Pecker's memory, suggesting that he was told Trump was away from the city the first week of August 2015. Pecker says he doesn't remember being told that.

Pecker confirms he told the grand jury the meeting happened the first week of August 2015.

Bove challenges him, saying that he now "changed" his testimony about the timing on the stand now at trial.

"I don't mean to put you on the spot" Bove says, adding that it's hard to remember what people said almost 10 years ago.

Bove says there are some things "that your mind fills in the gaps."

"What I’m getting at is these things happened a long time ago. And even when your’e doing your best … it’s hard to remember exactly what happened when," Bove says.

Pecker shrugs and says he's testifying to the best of his knowledge to be truthful.

Pecker says, "I didn't feel that I added in language."

4 min ago
Jurors watch closely as Bove questions Pecker
Members of the jury are watching Bove and Pecker closely during this cross-examination. Some jurors who are seated closer to the gallery occasionally look out into the gallery at the reporters.

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-25-24/index.html.

 

2 min ago
Bove asks Pecker to confirm prior testimony about Cohen always angling for something for himself


Bove asks Pecker to confirm his prior testimony that Michael Cohen was always angling for something for himself.

The former publisher confirmed that Cohen asked Pecker to promote personal business ventures for him and his family throughout the years.

Bove says that Pecker had been working with Cohen for at least 8 years before the August 2015 meeting with Cohen. "Yes," Pecker responds.

He confirmed that in 2015 and 2016, Cohen was always clear that he was Trump's personal attorney and he was not working for the campaign.


https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-hush-money-trial-04-25-24/index.html.

 

Totally Irrelevant.
None of these people were running for POTUS

4m ago / 4:17 PM EDT
Trump lawyer establishes prosecutors refreshed Pecker's recollection

Lisa Rubin

Trump lawyer Emil Bove is now establishing that prosecutors refreshed David Pecker's recollection through a series of prep meetings; suggesting that their prep not only helped him understand what to expect at trial but also showed him documents to reconstruct his memory.

“You understood that you couldn’t say anything differently than what you said under oath previously?” Bove asked.

“What I said under oath was the truth,” Pecker said.

5m ago / 4:16 PM EDT
Bove gets Pecker to admit that AMI suppressed story about Rahm Emanuel

+2
Lisa Rubin, Tom Winter and Adam Edelman
Under questioning from Bove, Pecker admitted that Hollywood agent Ari Emanuel wanted Pecker’s help suppressing a story about Rahm Emanuel having an affair in 2009, and received that help. Rahm Emanuel was President Barack Obama’s White House chief of staff from 2009 to 2010 before being elected Chicago’s mayor in 2011. He now serves as President Joe Biden's ambassador to Japan.

Pecker did it, Bove insinuated, because he was negotiating a deal with the private advisory firm Rahm Emanuel was working with.

Bove seems to want to showcase that Pecker had suppressed stories on behalf of two political candidates (Schwarzenegger and Emanuel) — and was not investigated by the FEC.

However, it’s important to note that those two candidates, unlike Trump, were candidates for state or municipal offices; the FEC would not have had jurisdiction, and federal campaign finance laws would have been inapplicable.

15m ago / 4:05 PM EDT
Pecker questioned about other stories he suppressed involving Tiger Woods and Mark Wahlberg


Gary Grumbach and Alexandra Marquez
During cross-examination, Bove asks Pecker about other stories he was involved in suppressing, including one about Tiger Woods and another about Mark Wahlberg.

"Mark Wahlberg, he had an argument with his wife and the story was going to come out," Pecker said, adding, "We acquired the rights, I advised Wahlberg’s team we would acquire the rights and not publish it."

Bove asked, "You also purchased story related to Tiger Woods? Photographs?"

"It was a source agreement, so we did purchase it, yes," Pecker answered.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/do...trial-hush-money-case-live-updates-rcna149184

 

So they got a letter from the Campaign Finance investigating and were never charged nor fined, sorry that does not help the prosecution. You can't be guilty of something you've never been charged with regardless of what Pecker said he knows.

 

How does that impact this case.

Hint: Not at all.

 

5m ago / 4:25 PM EDT
Jury done is for the day
Zoë Richards

The jury has been sent home, allowing for the day to conclude with arguments over what is admissible by the defense on cross examination.

6m ago / 4:24 PM EDT
Trump lawyer tries to make it seem like David Pecker has a bad memory


Gary Grumbach and Rebecca Shabad
Bove seems to be trying to give the impression that Pecker doesn't remember things well by bringing up the exact dates of certain events and interviews.

Bove, for example, said that Pecker had a meeting with prosecutors on Aug. 2, 2018, but Pecker said he doesn't remember the exact date.

 

Will Karen McDougal be called to testify?
Since she claims to a 10 month affair with Trump she has to know so many personal things about him that wouldn't be known if they were just acquaintances.
I think the prosecutors will make the decision about Stormy and Karen testifing as the trial unfolds.

'Former tabloid publisher says Trump called alleged paramour ‘a nice girl’

'Former tabloid publisher David Pecker testified at Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial Thursday that the then-future president gave him the impression that he knew a Playboy model who was trying to sell rights to her claim of a monthslong affair with Trump.

In the 2016 conversation, Trump described Karen McDougal as “a nice girl,” Pecker testified Thursday. He said that led him to believe Trump “knew who she was” even though he has denied having sex with her.

Trump sat solemnly as Pecker described the conversation. Eventually, Pecker said that at the urging of Trump’s lawyer and political fixer, Michael Cohen, his grocery store tabloid, National Enquirer, paid McDougal, the magazine’s 1998 Playmate of the Year, $150,000 for the rights to her story.'

cont
https://www.voanews.com/a/former-ta...ed-alleged-paramour-a-nice-girl-/7585292.html

 

Unsupported gut feeling: Trump's lawyers go soft on Pecker. Maybe it's because the Orange Bilge is afraid of stuff Peckers knows about him that isn't involved in this case?

 

Oh, no.
Trump lied to the American people.....again.

According to Pecker in March 2018 right after the CNN Anderson Cooper/Stormy televised interview Trump called Pecker and he was furious because Stormy got paid off and had signed an NDA that stated she would be fined 1 million every time she mentioned his name.

The next month, April 2018 found Trump going on Air Force One and when he was asked by a reporter about the hush money he said he doesn't know anything, ask Michael Cohen his lawyer.


The moment Trump denied knowing about payment to Stormy ...

ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos
https://abcnews.go.com › Politics › story

Apr 4, 2023 — ... of when he told reporters on Air Force One in April 2018 that he didn't know about money paid to Stormy Daniels.

 

NY law says different.

 

Stuff that Pecker can leak tor get leaked to other trash media companies.
And make a little cha-ching on the side.

 

With that "hush money" trial. Trump has to be there or else he goes to jail. That's it!

 

Did Trump sit at attention when he heard "election fraud"? lol


National Enquirer editor talked of being pardoned by ...

The Hill
https://thehill.com › regulation › court-battles › 462151...

3 hours ago — The text did not indicate that Trump had discussed any potential pardon with Howard. “At least if he wins, I'll be pardoned for electoral fraud, ...

 

47 min ago
Trump: What happened in the courtroom on Thursday was "breathtaking"

From CNN's Aditi Sangal

What happened in the courtroom on Thursday was "breathtaking," former President Donald Trump said after court wrapped for the day.

He also described former tabloid boss David Pecker's testimony as "amazing."

"Open your eyes, we can't let this continue to happen to our country," he added, reiterating his complaint that this trial should have "never happened."

Trump also commented on the "monumental" US Supreme Court hearing on the matter of his immunity in the federal election subversion case brought by special counsel Jack Smith.

"I hope it was made clear that a president has to have immunity or you don't have a president. Or at most you can say it would be a ceremonial president. That's not what the founders had in mind," he said, adding he heard that the hearing was "quite amazing" and that the justices "were on their game."

https://www.cnn.com/

 

56 min ago
Judge agrees with prosecution's objection over Trump attorney's questions about Pecker's FBI interview


After the jury left the courtroom, Steinglass brought an objection, arguing that Bove's questions to Pecker about the FBI interview were "improper" and left the jury "with a misimpression."

Judge Juan Merchan sided with Steinglass and said they'll have to correct that in front of the jury on Friday.

The judge said Bove's actions left the jury with the impression that Pecker omitted information about Hope Hicks.

Bove said, "The point of my question was that she was not in the meeting."

Merchan said he wasn't accusing Bove of doing it intentionally, but said he should "be very careful of that."


https://www.cnn.com/

 

Trump's give-away is that he's never trashed McDougal and doesn't have a hard-on for her.
No pun intended.

Pecker was invited to the WH summer of 2017 for a "thank-you dinner" and a black & white photo was introduced as evidence by the prosecutors.
It shows the backs of the men.
Pecker said they were talking about Karen McDougal.
Trump had asked Pecker "how's Karen"
Pecker answered "she's great, she's quiet.

@ 1:15

 

How could they get a letter from the "Campaign Finance investigating"? Who's "they" that were "never charged nor fined"?

This trial isn't about "they"; it's about one man, tRaitor tRump. Who certainly can be found guilty at the end of this trial regardless of how you try to obfuscate his guilt.