David Pecker takes the stand for prosecution
David Pecker, who once called Donald Trump "a personal friend of mine," flashed a big smile as he took the stand as the trial's first witness, belying the gravity of the moment.
Pecker cackled loudly into the microphone, jolting the room, when prosecutor Josh Steinglass, asked him about his various phone numbers that he struggled to remember.
Pecker, 72, was the publisher of the National Enquirer but prosecutors said he was "acting as a co-conspirator" in helping buy and bury damaging stories about Trump, including a doorman's false claim that Trump had fathered a love child and a Playboy model's claim of a sexual relationship with Trump, who has denied both allegations.
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Trump, who once said Pecker would make a "brilliant" choice as editor of Time magazine, listened while leaning forward in his chair, arms crossed on the table, an unhappy look on his face.
Pecker testified that he had final say whether to publish any story involving a famous person.
"I had the final say of the celebrity side of the magazine," Pecker said. "We used checkbook journalism. We paid for stories."
Pecker is testifying pursuant to a subpoena. He has also secured a non-prosecution agreement with the Manhattan district attorney's office.