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☆ Contempt Fines and Hush-Money Details: 5 Takeaways From Trump’s Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Kate Christobek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The third week of the criminal trial of Donald J. Trump began with a rebuke: The judge, Juan M. Merchan, held the former president in contempt and fined him $9,000 for repeatedly violating a gag order. He also threatened jail time if the violations continue. The lawyer, Keith Davidson, also described an earlier deal to buy the silence of another woman, Karen McDougal, who said she’d had a longer-term affair with Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 business records to hide the payment to Ms. Daniels. He has denied the felony charges, and having had sex with Ms. Daniels and Ms. McDougal.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Juan M, Trump’s, Stormy Daniels, Keith Davidson, Karen McDougal, she’d, Daniels, McDougal

☆ Lawyer for Stormy Daniels Exposes Seamy Underside of Celebrity
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Michael Rothfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The tantalizing text message was sent by a lawyer for a former Playboy model to the editor of The National Enquirer. “I have blockbuster Trump story,” read the message sent in 2016 by the Los Angeles lawyer, Keith Davidson, who was on the witness stand as prosecutors posted it Tuesday morning for jurors at Donald J. Trump’s criminal trial. The editor, Dylan Howard, asked in response: “did he cheat.”The texts were an evocative beginning to testimony that laid bare the seamy ways celebrity scandal is leveraged and sold. In this case, it was a deal negotiated by Mr. Davidson for Karen McDougal, the model, who wanted to rejuvenate her career by leveraging her story of a romantic affair with Mr. Trump. She has said the liaison began in 2006 after he was already married to his current wife, Melania.

Persons: “, ”, Keith Davidson, Donald J, Dylan Howard, Davidson, Karen McDougal, Trump, Melania Organizations: National Enquirer, Los, Mr Locations: Los Angeles

☆ Live Updates: Third Week of Trump Criminal Trial to Begin With More Testimony
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Ben Protess | Jonah E. Bromwich | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +6 min

Mr. Trump is charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in an effort to conceal the payment. Mr. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied that he had sex with Ms. Daniels. The week also brought more accusations that Mr. Trump had violated a gag order prohibiting him from attacking witnesses, prosecutors and jurors. Credit... Jefferson Siegel for The New York TimesBut Mr. Trump’s lawyer Todd Blanche said his client’s actions were “run-of-the-mill” business. Mr. Trump will use the midweek break to campaign in Wisconsin and Michigan, two battleground states in this year’s election.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Donald Trump’s, David Pecker, Trump’s, Pecker, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, Juan M, Merchan, Mr, Prosecutors, Todd Blanche, Jefferson Siegel, “ It’s, Blanche, Cohen, ”, Dave Sanders, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Emil Bove, mutter, Merchan’s, Rhona Graff, Gary Farro, Farro, Hope Hicks Organizations: National Enquirer, Mr, Trump Tower, Prosecutors, The New York, Trump Organization, The New York Times, Playboy, Trump, White House, Republican Locations: Donald Trump’s Manhattan, Manhattan, Trump’s, Wisconsin, Michigan

☆ Opinion: Harvey Weinstein’s prosecutors made a huge mistake. Trump’s prosecutors risk repeating it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Opinion Jim Walden | Deanna Paul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Jim Walden Courtesy of Jim WaldenA few days later, New York’s highest court overturned the sex crimes conviction of Hollywood movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. And the recent dramatic developments in the Weinstein case demonstrate why the presiding judge in the Trump trial, Judge Juan Merchan, needs to reverse his ruling allowing Trump to be questioned about proven misconduct from other cases. If he doesn’t, Trump could have an easy path to having a conviction in the case tossed out. This is essentially what happened in the Weinstein case. If he does not, Trump could get a conviction overturned while the ink hasn’t yet dried on the jury’s verdict.

Persons: Jim Walden, Deanna Paul, Walden, Donald Trump’s Manhattan, Harvey Weinstein, Weinstein, Trump, Juan Merchan, Deanna Paul Meredith Eves Flynn Trump, —, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, David Pecker, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Daniels, Maggie Haberman, Merchan, Letitia James, E, Jean Carroll, Merchan’s, James Burke, Burke’s Organizations: New, CNN, Republican, Hollywood, Trump, Prosecutors, National Enquirer, New York Times, New York, Manhattan, Appeals Locations: New York

☆ Too busy for hush money? Trump debuts longshot 'multi-tasking' defense during testimony by longtime assistant Rhona Graff
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-27 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The now-retired assistant, Rhona Graff, told jurors that Trump was prone to "multi-tasking" and sometimes would be on the phone at the same time he signed checks. The testimony was elicited during Graff's cross-examination by Trump attorney Susan Necheles. Related storiesThe nine checks are the only records bearing Trump's signature out of 34 checks, invoices, and business-ledger records he allegedly falsified. After Trump signed each check, it would be FedExed back to the Trump Organization's Trump Tower headquarters, scanned into the company records, and then cut and mailed to Cohen. — respectful boss to me," Graff told jurors of working alongside Trump in the Trump Organization headquarters on the 25th-floor of Trump Tower.

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Rhona Graff, Trump, Trump's, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Susan Necheles, Necheles, Graff, Susan Hoffinger, Juan Merchan, Cohen, Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Daniels, Karen McDougal, McDougal, Playboy Bunny Organizations: Service, Business, GOP, Manhattan, Trump, Court, Trump Organization, White, Prosecutors, Trump Tower Locations: New York, Trump

☆ Trump wishes Melania happy birthday from the hallway outside his NY criminal trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

In front of television cameras and a gaggle of journalists, former President Donald Trump wished his wife, Melania Trump, a very happy birthday Friday morning, moments before he entered the courtroom for his criminal hush-money trial. "I want to start by wishing my wife Melania a very happy birthday," he told reporters in the downtown Manhattan courthouse hallway. Trump is spending the day in Manhattan's criminal court, where he's on trial for charges alleging that he falsified business documents to disguise payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. AdvertisementTrump did not address why Melania Trump, or any of his other family members, have not attended the trial to support him. Trump said he listened to the arguments Thursday night, after his court day in Manhattan, and "thought it was really great."

Persons: —, Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Jason Miller, Boris Epshteyn, Waltine Nauta, Epshteyn, David Pecker, Pecker, Daniels, Karen McDougal Organizations: Service, Hallmark, Business, National Enquirer Locations: Manhattan, Florida, Arizona, Trump's Florida

☆ FAFSA delays could have some students thinking about a gap year—3 factors to consider before you do
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Kamaron Mcnair | In Kamaronmcnair | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Many students take what's known as a gap year before attending college for a variety of reasons. While the practice is more common in the United Kingdom and other European countries, gap year interest is growing in the U.S., according to the nonprofit Gap Year Association. Others may take stock of their admission offerings and financial aid packages and decide they want to try their luck in the next application cycle. As many students and families anxiously await delayed financial aid offers due to hiccups in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid process, taking a gap year could help give some students more time to weigh their college decision. You also may be banned from applying to other colleges if your place is being held at one school.

Persons: Karen McCarthy, you've Organizations: Federal, National Association of Student Financial, CNBC Locations: United Kingdom, U.S

CNN —Jurors will now have a three-day weekend to think about what they heard during the first full week of testimony in the historic Donald Trump hush money trial. In one instance, Bove pointed to FBI notes from a 2018 interview, where agents had written that Pecker testified Trump did not thank him or AMI during a January 6, 2017, meeting at Trump Tower. In that interview, Pecker testified that Trump had in fact thanked him during that 2017 Trump Tower meeting. Trump cracks a smile for his longtime assistantTrump’s longtime assistant Rhona Graff testified for less than an hour. He replied, “Of course I do.”Graff no longer works for Trump, but she spoke positively about her experience at the Trump Organization and having Trump as a boss.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, pummel, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Trump’s, Rhona Graff, Cohen, Trump, Karen McDougal’s, Banker Gary Farro, Daniels, Farro, He’s, Emil Bove, Pecker, Bove, McDougal, Prosecutors, Joshua Steinglass, Steinglass, Karen McDougal, ”, Graff, Susan Necheles, ” Graff, “, humanize Trump, ” Trump, Hope Hicks Organizations: CNN, American Media Inc, National Enquirer, Trump Organization, Trump, First Republic Bank, AMI, Trump Tower, Trump Org, ” Defense Locations: Delaware

☆ On Stand, Pecker Fires Back After Trump Lawyer Implies He Was Untruthful
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Matthew Haag | More About Matthew Haag | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The lawyer for Donald J. Trump who on Friday led the cross-examination of David Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer and first witness in the trial, used confrontational questioning to try to catch Mr. Pecker in contradictions. But that strategy, which led to a tense exchange in the Lower Manhattan courtroom, did not seem to pay off. Mr. Pecker repeatedly rejected characterizations and questions posed by the lawyer, Emil Bove, and resisted the suggestion that he had not been forthright in earlier testimony. For most of Friday, Mr. Bove had struck a polite tone with Mr. Pecker, spending most of the second day of cross-examination focusing on arcane questions about deals to suppress stories, including one with Karen McDougal, the former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump. But as Mr. Bove wrapped up his cross-examination, he asked Mr. Pecker about his obligations in cooperating with the prosecution in the hush-money trial.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Emil Bove, Bove, Karen McDougal Organizations: National Enquirer, Playboy Locations: Lower Manhattan

The criminal trial of Donald J. Trump on Friday will feature the continued cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, David Pecker, as defense lawyers try to discredit the idea that there had been a plot to protect Mr. Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. On Thursday, Mr. Pecker, the former publisher of The National Enquirer, described his own involvement in the suppression of the stories of two women who claimed to have had sex with Mr. Trump: Karen McDougal, a Playboy model, and Stormy Daniels, the porn star whose 2016 hush-money payoff is at the root of the prosecution’s case. Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Ms. Daniels, who has said they had a sexual encounter in 2006 and was shopping that story in the weeks before the 2016 presidential election. Mr. Trump, the first American president to face criminal trial, has denied the accusations and the sexual encounter with Ms. Daniels.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Trump’s, Pecker, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Daniels Organizations: National Enquirer

Mr. Pecker was also asked whether he believed Mr. Trump was concerned that his wife or family would find out about the affairs. director, and Reince Priebus, who was chairman of the Republican National Committee, Mr. Pecker reassured Mr. Trump that everything was fine. Mr. Trump then told the group that Mr. Pecker probably “knows more than anyone else in this room.”“It was a joke,” Mr. Pecker testified, adding, “They didn’t laugh.”Pecker did a lot for Trump, who could be hard to please. Mr. Pecker variously described Mr. Trump as becoming “very angry” and “very aggravated.”Still, Mr. Pecker said he felt no ill will. Mr. Pecker described a 2002 meeting in which Mr. Schwarzenegger asked Mr. Pecker not to run negative stories about him before his run for governor of California.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Karen McDougal, Daniels, McDougal, Trump’s, Michael D, Cohen, Marion Curtis, “, Mr, McDougal —, —, ” Mr, ”, Ahmed Gaber, James Comey, Reince Priebus, ” Pecker, Emil Bove, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Schwarzenegger Organizations: National Enquirer, AMI, ., Associated, Prosecutors, Trump, White, The New York Times, Republican National Committee, Mr, Republican Locations: Trump’s, California

“As we walked out, President Trump asked me, ‘How’s Karen doing, how’s Karen doing?’ So, I said, ‘She’s doing well, she’s quiet, everything’s going good.’” Pecker said. I thought you had this under control.”Pecker also received a call from Trump after McDougal was interviewed by CNN’s Anderson Cooper in March 2018. Pecker told Trump on the call that he had amended McDougal’s agreement on speaking to other media. “But the US Supreme Court had a monumental hearing on immunity and the immunity having to do with presidential immunity. “So, you ran articles about President Trump because it was good for business?” Bove asked.

Persons: David Pecker, Donald Trump’s, Karen McDougal’s, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Pecker, Cohen, Daniels, McDougal, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Trump’s, ‘ How’s Karen, how’s Karen, ‘ She’s, ” Pecker, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, “, Chris Conroy, ” Conroy, CNN’s Kristen Holmes, Jackson, CNN Trump, ” Trump, Emil Bove, Quizzing, Bove, Dino Sajudin, ” Bove, Stelter, Bove’s, –, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Schwarzenegger, Ari Emanuel, Mark Wahlberg, Rahm Emanuel, Tiger Woods, Woods, ”, Wahlberg Organizations: CNN, Former American Media Inc, Trump, AMI, White House, Wall, Office, National Enquirer, National, Pecker, California, Chicago, ” CNN Locations: Manhattan, Washington, New York, New York City, Bedminster, CNN’s, Japan

☆ Trump feared for campaign, not family, as sex scandals were caught and killed, ex-Enquirer CEO tells hush-money jury
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

When a porn star and Playboy Bunny both came forward, Trump feared for voters, not family, Pecker told jurors. Then, in swift succession and with the 2016 election just months away, a Playboy Bunny and a porn star appeared with more sex scandals. But in the months before the 2016 election, all Trump worried about was his voters, Pecker testified on his third day on the stand. "I thought his concern was with the campaign," Pecker added. Pecker told jurors he had been investigated by California officials for just this sort of thing more than a decade before Trump's 2016 campaign.

Persons: David Pecker, Playboy Bunny, Trump, Pecker, —, Donald Trump, Dino Sajudin, Bunny Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Joshua Steinglass, Steinglass, Daniels, Michael Cohen, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Dylan Howard, Trump's, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Arnold, Howard, Howard texted, Cohen, Karen, McDougal, Michael, Jeff Sessions Organizations: National Enquirer, Service, Trump, Enquirer, Trump Organization, Attorney, American Media International, AMI, Prosecutors, McDougal's, Federal, Commission Locations: Manhattan, California, Australia

☆ How a Playboy Model’s Story of an Affair With Trump Became a Commodity
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Michael Rothfeld | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In the middle of the 2016 presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump called David Pecker, publisher of The National Enquirer. The candidate was seeking advice about a former Playboy model who was trying to sell her story of an affair with him, Mr. Pecker told jurors in Mr. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial. Mr. Pecker suggested a way to silence the model, Karen McDougal. “I think that the story should be purchased,” he said he told Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up the Daniels payment as part of an effort to influence the election.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump’s, Karen McDougal, “, ”, Ms, McDougal, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniels Organizations: National Enquirer, Playboy

☆ The Links Between Trump and 3 Hush-Money Deals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Molly Cook Escobar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Links Between Trump and 3 Hush-Money DealsThe first criminal trial of former President Donald J. Trump has resurfaced three potential sex scandals that he faced ahead of the 2016 presidential election and buried with the help of allies. Manhattan prosecutors charged him in relation to the one involving the porn star Stormy Daniels; he pleaded not guilty and has said the three stories are untrue. Two other hush-money deals were made as part of a “catch and kill” effort by The National Enquirer. While those episodes are not formally part of the charges Mr. Trump is facing, prosecutors will argue that they were part of the effort to bury negative news about Mr. Trump to influence the election. Those deals involve Karen McDougal, who said she had an affair with Mr. Trump in 2006-7, and Dino Sajudin, a former doorman who in 2015 tried to sell an apparently false tip about Mr. Trump fathering a child out of wedlock.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels David Pecker, Karen McDougal Dino Sajudin, Donald Trump, David Pecker, Stormy Daniels Karen McDougal Dino Sajudin, Daniels, Karen McDougal, Dino Sajudin Organizations: Trump, National Enquirer, The New York Times Locations: Manhattan

☆ 5 Takeaways From David Pecker’s Testimony in Trump’s Criminal Trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Jesse Mckinley | Kate Christobek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The criminal trial of Donald Trump featured vivid testimony on Thursday about a plot to protect his first presidential campaign and the beginnings of a tough cross-examination of the prosecution’s initial witness, David Pecker. Mr. Trump, 77, is charged with falsifying 34 business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to Ms. Daniels, who has said they had a sexual encounter in 2006 and was shopping that story in the weeks before the 2016 presidential election. He has denied the charges and having sex with Ms. Daniels and Ms. McDougal; the former president could face probation or prison if convicted. Here are five takeaways from Mr. Trump’s seventh day on trial:Pecker teed up falsified records charges. As part of a so-called catch-and-kill scheme, Mr. Pecker testified that his company, AMI, paid Ms. McDougal $150,000 to purchase her story, with no intention of publishing anything about an affair with Mr. Trump.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump, Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Daniels, McDougal, Trump’s Organizations: National Enquirer, AMI

Days before Donald J. Trump became president in early 2017, a handful of advisers, officials and allies descended on his office at Trump Tower: the F.B.I. The future president, triumphant, thanked Mr. Pecker for his service. That remarkable scene was private until Thursday, when Mr. Pecker recounted it to jurors in Mr. Trump’s Manhattan criminal trial. He described in vivid detail how Mr. Trump laid bare their effort to buy and bury damaging stories that could have derailed Mr. Trump’s campaign — a plot at the center of the case. “He said, ‘I want to thank you for handling the McDougal situation,’ and then he also said, ‘I wanted to thank you for the doorman situation,’” Mr. Pecker testified Thursday.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, —, David Pecker, Karen McDougal, Mr, Pecker, Trump’s, “, ‘, McDougal, ” Organizations: Trump, National Enquirer

☆ Trump can’t be in two places at once in double courtroom drama
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

But Donald Trump’s return to his hush money trial Thursday does not even represent the most critical courtroom drama of his day. The ex-president’s attention is certain to stray from what he has repeatedly complained is a “freezing” court in New York to the neoclassical splendor of the US Supreme Court. Trump blames Judge Juan Merchan for dashing his hopes of being at the Supreme Court Thursday. Trump’s Supreme Court gambit is also part of his wider campaign strategy. CNN reporters in the courtroom said Trump was deeply engaged at times during Pecker’s earlier testimony.

Persons: Donald Trump’s, Trump, —, David Pecker, Juan Merchan, ”, Joe Biden, he’s, Boris Epshteyn, Mark Meadows, Rudy Giuliani, Giuliani, Merchan, quagmire, Michael Cohen, Cohen, “ Michael Cohen, ” Trump, WPVI, David Pecker –, Pecker, Karen McDougal – Organizations: CNN, US, Republican, Law, The New, Fox News Digital, Trump, Trump voters, Trump’s, White House, Prosecutors, American Media, National Enquirer, Pecker’s AMI Locations: New York, Washington, Manhattan, The New York, Arizona, Michigan, WPVI Philadelphia

☆ Opinion: Melania’s complicated ‘stand by your man’ routine
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Opinion Jill Filipovic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The days of women standing up next to their philandering husbands should be well in the rear view. Melania’s decision to stay married to Donald despite very public evidence of an affair is her choice to make. (Her decision to stay married to a man who very publicly cheated on his first wife, is virulently misogynistic and has stoked hatred of immigrants tells us something else about her character.) Former First Lady Melania Trump stands alongside her husband, former President Donald Trump at a fundraising event in Palm Beach, Florida on April 6, 2024. Would Donald stay married to Melania if she faced multiple very public affair accusations?

Persons: Jill Filipovic, Donald Trump, Stormy Daniels, Melania, Barron, Trump, Karen McDougal, Daniels, McDougal, Donald, Lady Melania Trump, Alon Skuy, Bill Clinton, Idaho Sen, Larry Craig, Craig, Eliot Spitzer, Silda Wall Spitzer, stoically, Abedin, Anthony Weiner, Former Louisiana Sen, David Vitter, Wendy, presser, ” premised, –, Chip Somodevilla, She’s Organizations: Twitter, CNN, Republican, Former New York Gov, York, Former Louisiana, Rochester Opera House Locations: New York, Manhattan, Palm Beach , Florida, Idaho, Paris, Rochester , New Hampshire

☆ Former National Enquirer boss reveals sleazy tactics the tabloid used to protect Donald Trump and smear his rivals
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

But on Tuesday, former National Enquirer boss David Pecker lifted the curtain on the actual media collusion that took place in the 2016 election. Pecker revealed in granular detail how Trump worked hand-in-hand with the infamous national tabloid to boost his candidacy and, perhaps far more importantly, simultaneously smear his political opponents with shameful lies and innuendo. Meanwhile, Pecker worked with Cohen to smear Trump’s Republican rivals in the 2016 primary, including Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, and Marco Rubio. At times, Pecker said that Cohen went as far as to contact him and direct the Enquirer to attack Trump’s GOP rivals. When the Enquirer published negative stories about Bill and Hillary Clinton, Pecker said that Trump was elated.

Persons: Donald Trump, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump, “, ” Pecker, Michael Cohen, Karen McDougal’s, ”, Dino Sajudin, Cohen, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, “ Michael Cohen, — Michael Cohen —, Hillary Clinton, Dylan Howard, we’re, Rupert Murdoch’s, Joe Biden, Biden Organizations: New York CNN, Democratic Party, National Enquirer, Trump Organization, Trump, GOP, Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News, MAGA Media, Fox, Fox News Locations: New York, Pecker, Manhattan

Here are takeaways from Tuesday’s day in court:Gag order hearing goes badly for TrumpMerchan issued the gag order before the trial began, limiting Trump from publicly discussing witnesses, the jury or the district attorney’s staff. Merchan expanded the order, which Trump has appealed, to cover his own family after Trump attacked his daughter. “It’s your client’s position that when he reposts he did not believe he was violating the gag order. Judge says Trump lawyers are ‘losing all credibility’Tensions continued to grow between Trump’s legal team and the trial judge during the gag order hearing. Pecker places Michael Cohen deep in the conspiracyPecker placed Cohen in the heart of the alleged “catch and kill conspiracy” Tuesday.

Persons: Juan Merchan, Donald Trump, David Pecker, Karen McDougal, Trump’s, Michael Cohen, Trump, ”, Stormy Daniels, Merchan, Todd Blanche, Blanche, Cohen, Michael Avenatti, Daniels, ” Merchan, “, ” Blanche, reposts, “ You’ve, “ I’ve, You’ve, “ You’re, Josh Steinglass, Pecker, McDougal, Michael, ” Pecker, Stelter, wasn’t, “ Michael Cohen, Ted Cruz, ’ ” Pecker, Ben Carson, Marco Rubio Organizations: New, New York CNN, American Media Inc, Trump, Trump Merchan, Truth, AMI, CNN Locations: New York

☆ Hush-money judge repeatedly bench-slaps Donald Trump's lawyer over gag violations: 'You're losing all credibility!'
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

"You're losing all credibility," the judge railed when Blanche insisted Trump was "careful" online. "You're losing all credibility," New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan angrily told the lawyer, Todd Blanche. It was at this point that the judge accused Blanche of "losing all credibility." Blanche's arguments at Tuesday's hearing, in defense of Trump's posts, fell roughly into three categories. Blanche's third argument was that reposting attacks on trial witnesses that were originally made by others was somehow exempt.

Persons: Todd Blanche, Blanche, Trump, —, Donald Trump, Juan Merchan, Merchan, Christopher Conroy, Timothy A, Clary, Trump's, Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels, I've, Atilgan, Daniels, Cohen, Conroy, Jesse Watters, David Pecker, Pecker, Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, Alvin Bragg's, reimbursing Cohen, Karen McDougal, McDougal Organizations: Service, GOP, Prosecutors, Reuters, Trump, Anadolu Agency, Getty, Fox, Merchan, National Enquirer, Mar, Manhattan, Trump Organization Locations: Manhattan, Florida, Washington, DC

☆ Former National Enquirer boss breaks his silence on ‘catch and kill’ as lead witness in Trump trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The former National Enquirer boss on Monday became the first witness called to testify in Donald Trump’s historic hush-money trial. Sitting in the Manhattan courtroom, Pecker offered illuminating details into how the infamous tabloid operated and conducted so-called “catch and kill” operations. But during his brief time on the witness stand, Pecker confirmed a number of details that news organizations had previously reported about his operation. Pecker smiled and said “hi” to Trump’s table after stepping down from the witness stand. Pecker will be back on the witness stand Tuesday, when court resumes.

Persons: New York CNN — David Pecker, Donald Trump’s, Pecker, ” Pecker, “, —, Karen McDougal, Trump, Stormy Daniels, ” Organizations: New York CNN, National Enquirer, Monday, Street, Media Inc, Playboy, Trump, AMI, CNN, Republican Locations: New York, Manhattan

☆ Trump thought hush money was risky because 'It always gets out,' National Enquirer exec testifies. In this case, Trump was right.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Laura Italiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"It always gets out," Pecker testified Trump told him. "It always gets out," Trump explained of his hesitancy, according to the trial's first witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Advertisement"I think the story should be purchased and you should buy it," Pecker told jurors, describing what he told Trump about McDougal's accusations during a June, 2016 phone call. But Trump wanted nothing to do with the McDougal payoff, Pecker said Tuesday, his second day on the witness stand. But Trump is now on trial for a second hush-money payment that prosecutors say has Trump's fingerprints all over it — the payment to Daniels.

Persons: Donald Trump's Manhattan, David Pecker, Pecker, Trump, —, Donald Trump, Model Karen McDougal, Stormy Daniels, Alvin Bragg's, Daniels, Bragg, McDougal, Michael Cohen —, Cohen, Melania Trump, Barron, Pecker's Organizations: Service, National Enquirer, Trump Organization, Trump Org

Mr. Cohen has said he acted at Mr. Trump’s direction, but the former president is not charged over the payment itself. If Mr. Trump testifies in his own defense, that could pit Mr. Cohen’s word against Mr. Trump’s — a he-said, he-said story, with two questionable narrators. Mr. Trump’s lawyers will seek to emphasize Mr. Cohen’s checkered past at every turn. And, on cross-examination, Mr. Trump’s lawyers are likely to portray Mr. Cohen as a serial liar with a grudge against his former boss. Mr. Pecker can support at least some of Mr. Cohen’s testimony about Mr. Trump’s involvement in the hush-money deals.

Persons: Donald J, Trump, Alvin L, Bragg, Michael D, Cohen, Stormy Daniels, Daniel J . Horwitz, Michael Cohen, ” Mr, Horwitz, Mary Altaffer, Daniels, Trump’s, Joshua Steinglass, Donald Trump, Mr, Steinglass’s, David Pecker, Hope Hicks, Pecker, Bragg’s, Karen McDougal, Marion Curtis, reimbursements, Allen H, Weisselberg, Steinglass, McDougal, Dave Sanders, The New York Times Susan Necheles, Cohen’s, President Trump, Madeleine Westerhout, “, ”, ” William K, Rashbaum, Maggie Haberman, Jonathan Swan, Michael Rothfeld Organizations: Prosecutors, Mr, fixer, National Enquirer, Trump, Trump . Credit, The New York Times, American Media, Associated, ” Locations: New York, Manhattan, Trump ., America, Russia

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