Trump trial: 1st week of testimony ends with testimony from Michael Cohen's former banker
Banker Gary Farro testified in Donald Trump's hush money trial in New York.
Former President Donald Trump is on trial in New York City, where he is facing felony charges related to a 2016 hush money payment to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. It marks the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges.
Trump last April pleaded not guilty to a 34-count indictment charging him with falsifying business records to hide the reimbursement of a hush money payment his then-attorney Michael Cohen made to Daniels in order to boost his electoral prospects in the 2016 presidential election.
Top headlines:
- Banker says he set up LLC, which Cohen used to pay Daniels
- 'Thank you for handling' McDougal, Pecker says Trump told him
- 'This story is true,' Pecker recounts being told of Stormy Daniels
- Pecker describes $150,000 negotiations for McDougal's story
- Secret Service has plans if Trump is confined for contempt: Sources
What to know about the hush money case
READ MORE: Here's what you need to know about the historic case.
Cross-examination of David Pecker set to continue
Defense attorney Emil Bove is scheduled to continue his cross-examination of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker this morning, on Day 8 of former President Donald Trump's hush money trial.
On Thursday, under direct examination, Pecker detailed his publication's "catch-and-kill" deal with Trump, explaining how his publication paid Playboy model Karen McDougal $150,000 for the exclusive rights to her story about an alleged year-long relationship she had with Trump, then kept it under wraps so it wouldn't "embarrass Mr. Trump or embarrass or hurt the campaign."
Under cross-examination from Bove, Pecker testified that there was "nothing wrong" with those kind of arrangements, and that they were "standard operating procedure" for publications like his, listing several politicians -- including Rep. Rahm Emanuel and Arnold Schwarzenegger -- for whom he had caught and killed stories.
Trump calls day's court proceedings 'breathtaking'
Former President Trump, exiting the courtroom at the end of Day 7 of his trial, called the day's court proceedings "breathtaking."
He specifically remarked on the Supreme Court's hearing this morning on his bid for presidential immunity in his federal election interference case, which Trump was forced to miss due to his criminal trial.
"I heard the meeting was quite amazing. The justices were on their game," Trump said.
-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh and Mike Pappano
Prosecutor objects to defense questions before court is adjourned
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass alleged that defense attorney Emil Bove used a "totally improper line of questioning" during Bove's cross-examination of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.
Judge Juan Mechan, addressing Bove, at one point raised his voice slightly, saying, "Are you missing my point? Because I don't think you are responding to what I am saying."
Merchan said that the jurors will be corrected about the alleged misimpression at the start of court tomorrow.
The judge then adjourned the day's proceedings, with court scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m. ET Friday.
Pecker says AMI paid to kill stories for Schwarzenegger
In his cross-examination of David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher who ran the publication's parent company, AMI, defense lawyer Emil Bove sought to draw a contrast between AMI's conduct with Donald Trump and its work with another celebrity-turned-politician: Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Earlier today, Pecker testified about an agreement with Schwarzenegger ahead of the actor's run for California governor. According to Pecker, Schwarzenegger agreed to serve as an editor-at-large for some of AMI's fitness magazines in exchange for help quashing negative stories about Schwarzenegger's past interactions with women.
"A number of women called up the National Enquirer about stories that they have to sell on different relationships or contacts and sexual harassment they felt that Arnold Schwarzenegger did," Pecker said. "The agreement I had with Arnold was I would call him and advise him of any stories that were out there."
Pecker described that his arrangement with Schwarzenegger -- which he said resulted in an "embarrassing" investigation into AMI's conduct -- provided him with some foundational experience when he began identifying and killing stories for Trump.
"That's how I became sensitive on this topic," Pecker.
Pressed on cross-examination about the arrangement with Schwarzenegger, Pecker acknowledged that AMI spent its own money to kill stories about the former California governor.
"It was hundreds of thousands of dollars," Pecker said.
"And Mr. Schwarzenegger never paid you back for that?" Bove asked.
"No, he didn't," Pecker said.
Pecker also testified about an effort to compel Tiger Woods to do an interview with AMI's fitness magazines by purchasing a negative story about him as leverage.
Pecker describes $150,000 negotiations for McDougal's story
With Donald Trump following along from the defense table, head cocked slightly to the side, David Pecker described the negotiations conducted with Karen McDougal to purchase the exclusive rights to her story about an alleged year-long relationship with Trump.
Pecker said that Trump's attorney Michael Cohen authorized negotiations to begin, then during those negotiations, "Michael was very agitated," constantly asking "Why is this taking so long?"
"To purchase the lifetime rights to Karen McDougal was going to cost $150,000. Plus Karen wanted to restart her career. She wanted to write for the celebrity magazines. She wanted to be on the cover of the life and fitness titles. She had a major problem when her breast implants were removed and she wanted to write about that," Pecker testified.
Pecker said he asked Cohen, "Who is going to reimburse me for this?" He said Cohen responded "Don't worry about it, I'm your friend the boss will take care of it.'"
When prosecutor Josh Steinglass asked Pecker who "the boss" was, Pecker answered "The boss would have been Donald Trump"
Prosecutors then displayed for the jury the contract with McDougal, dated August 5, 2016. It awarded AMI, the Enquirer's parent company, the rights to her story of a relationship she had "with any then-married man." Pecker said "she was referring to Donald Trump."
Pecker testified he needed to "validate" the amount of money AMI was going to pay, so the contract included other provisions, like having McDougal write monthly columns on aging and fitness.
"With respect to campaign laws, I wanted to have the contract be a record that stipulates the services she was going to perform for American Media had a basis for it, the $150,000," Pecker said.
"Was it your primary purpose to buy the life rights?" Steinglass asked. "Yes it was," Pecker responded.
"Were the other provisions to disguise the true nature of this contract?" Steinglass asked. "Yes," Pecker replied, letting out a sigh.