Pecker explains alerting Cohen to Stormy Daniels story
Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker retook his seat on the witness stand after lunch, and the jury appeared engaged when prosecutor Josh Steinglass asked Pecker to explain things directly to them. Pecker slightly turned to face the jury when answering.
After the defense, during cross-examination, tried to suggest Pecker didn't want to get involved in the Stormy Daniels story for business and reputational reasons, Steinglass asked him to clarify.
"I said to Michael Cohen that after paying for the doorman story and the Karen McDougal story I wasn't going to pay anything further and I wasn't a bank," Pecker testified. "I told (editor) Dylan Howard there is no possible way that I would buy the story for $120,000 and that I didn't want anything to do with a porn star."
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Steinglass asked Pecker, "Why did you reach out to Michael Cohen" about Daniels' claim of a sexual liaison with Trump?
"Based on our original agreement, any stories regarding Mr. Trump that could be embarrassing, I would call Michael Cohen right away," Pecker said.
"You weren't going to print it? You weren't going to pay for it?" Steinglass asked.
"Correct," Pecker responded.
"But you were still going to fulfill your obligation to tell Michael Cohen about it? So the campaign could squash it?" asked Steinglass.
"Yes," Pecker responded.