#Bove asks #Pecker to describe the negative stories that The #NationalEnquirer ran about #Trump's 2016 #Republican opponents, #BenCarson, #MarcoRubio & #TedCruz. He argues, as he did yesterday, that it was standard operating procedure to run articles like these, in which The NE reran previously reported content. Bove is still trying to convince the #jury that Pecker didn't have some special arrangement w/Trump: Instead, his publication was doing what it had always done.

#law #TrumpTrial

However when one of the negative stories about #TedCruz came out in 2016 #Trump said:

"I did not know about it, & have not, as yet, read it. Likewise, I have nothing to do w/ the #NationalEnquirer & unlike Lyin' Ted Cruz I do not surround myself w/ political hacks & henchman & then pretend total innocence."

The suggestion by Trump’s lawyer that what #Pecker did for Trump was #SOP is belied by ~20yrs of Pecker helping him.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference

#Colangelo describes “#CatchAndKill scheme, in which #NationalEnquirer bought stories that were problems for #Trump & buried them.
NOT NORMAL #journalism

Colangelo describes some NE headlines that helped Trump's 2016 #campaign, embarrassing campaign opponents incl’g #TedCruz & #MarcoRubio.
Prosecutors are limited to the HEADLINES per #Sandoval. They go to Trump’s #intent: to #influence the election by promoting negative stories about others & suppressing those about himself.

#law #TrumpTrial

Our top story: “The terms of iHeartMedia’s podcast agreement with Cruz are not public, and the company’s recent comments do not explain why it is sending money derived from ad sales associated with Cruz’s podcast to a super PAC supporting Cruz’s 2024 reelection campaign ...” https://www.texasobserver.org/ted-cruz-podcast-payoff-fec-complaint/

#news #politics #corruption #democracy #USpol #TedCruz #Congress #Republicans #Texas #podcast

Is Ted Cruz’s Podcast PAC Payoff Scheme Illegal?

The Texas senator’s iHeartMedia deal, which sent over $600,000 to an aligned super PAC, may have broken campaign finance laws—or exploited a new loophole.

^{Justin Miller (The Texas Observer)}