Alvin Bragg’s Key Witness Was A Massive Flop
In a stunning turn of events at the criminal trial of President Donald Trump in New York, one of the prosecution’s key witnesses, David Pecker, delivered testimony that appears to have dealt a significant blow to the case spearheaded by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
David Pecker, the former CEO of American Media Inc. which owned the scandal-plagued National Enquirer, was expected to provide pivotal testimony against Trump. He was to detail the infamous “catch and kill” practice—a method used by the tabloid to purchase and suppress damaging stories about Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.
However, under cross-examination, Pecker’s revelations seemed to unravel the narrative that had been carefully constructed by the prosecution. Pecker testified that it was not Trump, but he and former Trump attorney Michael Cohen who were primarily concerned about potentially harmful stories due to Trump’s celebrity status and history with women.
Pecker, who served as the CEO of the Enquirer’s parent company at the time, stated in his testimony that in 2015, he agreed to act as Trump’s “eyes and ears” and would inform Trump’s lawyer, Michael Cohen, about any potentially harmful stories. He detailed a strategy called “catch and kill,” which involved acquiring the rights to these stories and then not publishing them, thus keeping them secret.
The day’s proceedings did not go unnoticed by political commentators and the media, with significant coverage highlighting the potential missteps by Bragg’s team. “Does the prosecution realize they just made themselves look ridiculous? Their key witness just said Trump didn’t even come up with any of this,” tweeted a political analyst from Travis Media Group following the testimony.
This ⬇️
Pecker effectively testified today that he and Cohen drummed up this scheme, without Trump’s instruction.
Not a good day for Alvin Bragg and Joe Biden!!! https://t.co/gSGjVevzaO
— Raheem. (@RaheemKassam) April 23, 2024
“Pecker effectively testified today that he and Cohen drummed up this scheme, without Trump’s instruction. Not a good day for Alvin Bragg and Joe Biden!!!” Raheem Kassam of the National Pulse tweeted.
Pecker recounted how he contacted Michael Cohen when an editor at the National Enquirer was tipped off that a doorman at Trump Tower was attempting to sell “a story that Donald Trump fathered an illegitimate girl with a maid at Trump Tower,” according to CBS News. Pecker eventually determined that the claim was unfounded. During his court testimony about the allegation, Trump was observed vehemently shaking his head, looking at Blanche, and silently saying “no.”
Pecker mentioned that upon hearing the rumor in 2015, “I immediately called Michael Cohen and described exactly what I was told.” He provided the names of the doorman and the maid, and he requested Cohen to confirm their employment at Trump Tower.
“Immediately, Michael Cohen says to me, ‘Absolutely not true, but I’ll check it out,’” Pecker recounted. Later, he informed Cohen that an editor from the National Enquirer had arranged to purchase the tale for $30,000. This marked the first instance of the magazine opting to buy a story concerning Trump.
“I said I’ll pay for it, this is a very big story and it should be removed from the market,” Pecker said, explaining his conversation with Cohen.
“He said, ‘Thank you,’ and, ‘The boss will be very pleased,’” Pecker testified, adding it was clear that “the boss” referred to Trump. During the trial, jurors viewed the “source agreement” signed by Sajudin, who might appear as a witness. The agreement contained a clause and cautioned that Sajudin might face a $1 million lawsuit for any breach.
Pecker told Cohen that he might consider releasing the story post-election if it proved to be true, to avoid causing “embarrassment” for the campaign.
“I thought if the story was true … it would be probably the biggest story for the National Enquirer since the death of Elvis Presley,” Pecker said during his testimony. The story never went to press. A payment invoice to Sajudin was internally labeled as “regarding ‘Trump’ non-published story.”
