At trial on Thursday in New York City, prosecution witness David Pecker roped in Donald Trump — currently the defendant on charges of falsifying business records in connection with hush money from before the 2016 elections.
“Some of the most damning evidence by Pecker: When Stormy story broke, Trump called, was angry, accused Pecker or his people of leaking, hung up without saying goodbye. Confirms conspiracy to influence election & intent to cover it up,” said legal expert Norm Eisen — of the think tank Brookings — regarding the testimony provided by Pecker and what it could entail.
Pecker, a tabloid media figure, also alleged a meeting at Trump Tower in early 2017 in which Trump inquired about the situation with Karen McDougal, a second woman with whom Trump also allegedly had an affair and who was also targeted by financial arrangements that temporarily silenced her. That scenario could also establish a trend, with prosecutors tying a hush money scheme — and subsequent handling of business records — to alleged ambitions of impacting the 2016 presidential race in a manner favorable to Trump. The idea is that keeping Stormy Daniels’ and McDougal’s stories under wraps would have stood to benefit Trump’s campaign that year.
Notably, Pecker even pointed to individuals then serving as officials in the Trump White House, Hope Hicks and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Evidencing an extensive, ambitious scheme, Pecker said that he was in touch with them to discuss the possibility of an extension of a contract for the rights to McDougal’s account of her relationship with Trump, which was kept under wraps rather than publicized. They were supportive, Pecker claimed. It was maybe the first time that any of those details were shared in public. Sanders, eventually the Trump administration’s press secretary, is now governor of Arkansas, taking over a post once held by her father.
