According to accounts of the latest courtroom developments on Thursday, prosecution witness David Pecker was directly looping former President Donald Trump into alleged discussions/collaboration around payments made specifically to Karen McDougal, a woman who allegedly had an affair with Trump.
The basis for the trial is criminal allegations against Trump of falsifying business records related to repayments for the hush money that went to another woman who had an alleged relationship with Trump, Stormy Daniels. But Trump’s claimed involvement in the broader schemes could establish a pattern.
MSNBC’s Lisa Rubin was one of those sharing updates. “NEW: At a Jan. 2017 Trump Tower meeting, Trump asked Pecker, “How’s our girl?” referring to Karen McDougal,” Rubin posted, referring to Pecker’s testimony. “Pecker said he assured Trump she was “quiet” and “fine.” Trump replied, “I want to thank you for handling the McDougal situation and the doorman situation.”” (The “doorman” refers to another negative story swirling around Trump that Pecker evidently helped silence.)
And Pecker shared with the court that he understood the focuses from Trump and his team to be the campaign rather than Trump’s family, etc. That’s relevant because prosecutors are also alleging ambitions of impacting the 2016 presidential election in a manner favorable to Trump were behind key financial arrangements. “Pecker believed that he was thanking him for helping the campaign; never did Trump or Cohen even raise the impact on Trump’s family,” Rubin added, again recapping Pecker’s testimony in court.
Legal journalist Adam Klasfeld shared a similar account. “I thought it was for the campaign,” Pecker reportedly stated, discussing his understanding of Trump’s concerns around some of these stories spreading.
Pecker, connected to the tabloid the National Enquirer, was prosecutors’ first witness. Previously amid the case, other details emerged evidencing an apparent scheme by that publication to run stories maligning Trump’s political rivals and extolling him, beyond any involvement in handling the affair allegations. A long series of headlines that demeaned Trump’s opponents were spotlighted.
