Former United States President Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial continued on its fourth day with former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker facing rigorous cross-examination by Trump’s legal team. Pecker discussed the “catch-and-kill” scheme involving Trump in the lead-up to the 2016 US presidential elections. Trump is facing 34 felony counts in connection to payments made to Stormy Daniels. Despite denying her allegations, prosecutors claim it was part of a larger criminal scheme to influence the 2016 vote.
During the hearing, Trump’s lawyer questioned Pecker about his editorial process and a 2015 meeting, where they discussed running negative stories about Bill and Hillary Clinton and Trump’s opponents. Pecker clarified that the Enquirer’s negative coverage of Trump’s opponents was cost-efficient and meant to boost business. They also delved into the National Enquirer’s deal with Karen McDougal and the motivations behind it.
Following Pecker’s testimony, Rhona Graff, Trump’s former employee, and gatekeeper, took the stand. Graff recalled seeing Daniels at Trump Tower and Trump’s interest in casting her on The Apprentice. She mentioned that contact information for Daniels and McDougal was kept in the Trump Organization’s computer system.
Another witness, Gary Farro, testified about Cohen’s personal accounts at First Republic Bank. Farro described his banking arrangements with Cohen and noted that he did not find Cohen difficult to work with.
The trial also saw a hearing scheduled for next week regarding allegations that Trump violated a gag order, prohibiting him from publicly criticizing witnesses. Prosecutors are seeking a fine for each violation. The trial will resume on Tuesday.