With Pecker back on the stand, prosecutor Joshua Steinglass picked up where questioning left off on Tuesday: the second use of “catch and kill” to quash a negative Trump story in 2016. This claim came from Karen McDougal, a former Playboy model who said she had an affair with Trump, which he denies.
Pecker recalled the National Enquirer’s editor, Dylan Howard, first hearing about the story from McDougal’s attorney, Keith Davidson. Pecker described Davidson as a “major source” for Howard and said he had heard another group was pursuing the story for $8 million.
“I felt that this story should be purchased,” Pecker said.
He said he fielded a phone call from Trump in June 2016, while Pecker was at an investor meeting.
“[Trump] said, ‘What should I do?’” he testified. “I said, ‘I think you should buy the story and take it off the market.’”
Pecker said Trump described McDougal as “a nice girl.” He said Cohen soon called him and said “you should go ahead and buy this story” and “the boss will take care of it.” Pecker said he understood that to mean Trump or the Trump Organization would pay him back.
Howard negotiated terms for the rights to McDougal’s story, and brought Pecker the offer: $150,000 for the lifetime rights and other provisions, Pecker testified. He said Cohen grew agitated as negotiations dragged on.
Pecker said he pushed back on footing the bill.
“‘$150,000, who is going to reimburse me for this?’” he said he asked Cohen. “And he said, ‘Don’t worry about it, I’m your friend. The boss will take care of it.’”
The deal was finalized in August 2016, with the National Enquirer obtaining the story.
“I called Michael Cohen and I told him that we finalized the agreement with Karen McDougal, that the contract was bulletproof and that we consulted with a campaign attorney,” Pecker testified.