Davidson’s testimony on Tues ended w/how he had started to doubt #MichaelCohen would pay the $130k.

Before the day ended, Davidson said Cohen forwarded him an email from First Republic Bank vouching for his solvency.

In addition to #StormyDaniels, Davidson represented #KarenMcDougal, a Playboy model who had a year-long affair w/ #Trump. McDougal also received #HushMoney —$150k from the parent company of The #NationalEnquirer.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

#KeithDavidson starts off by reminding the jury how bad things had gotten between him & #MichaelCohen. #DylanHoward, the editor of The #NationalEnquirer, had to step in because Davidson believed Cohen was “not telling me the truth” about the delay in receiving a #HushMoney payment for #StormyDaniels’s story.

Prosecution next shows Davidson text to Howard saying he has received the #HushMoney payment: “funds received.”

#criminal #law #Trump #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference

👀👀
#KeithDavidson is asked about a text he sent #DylanHoward (#NationalEnquirer) on election night as the election was about to get called for #Trump.

“What have we done?” Davidson texted.

Howard responded: “Oh my god.”

Davidson describes his text as “gallows humor,” but explains that “there was an understanding” that their “activities may have in some way assisted the presidential campaign of Donald Trump.”

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial

As results came in on election night, #DylanHoward called #MichaelCohen, who invited him to celebrate at the Hilton in Times Square. He went w/one of his #NationalEnquirer reporters.

Davidson on Cohen:
"He said something to the effect of, Jesus Christ, can you f---ing believe I'm not going to Washington... I've saved that guy's a-- so many times you don't even know."

Defense will love that testimony.

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial

Gawker was sued out of existence by Hogan, in a lawsuit financed by the billionaire #PeterThiel.

#Bove insinuated that an article #NationalEnquirer editor #DylanHoward co-wrote about the Hulk Hogan sex tapes in 2015 was a product of Davidson’s providing that info.

Davidson denied that he gave Howard the tapes.

Bove then revealed that the #FBI had set up a sting related to Davidson’s discussion w/Hogan’s reps.

#Trump #criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial

👀 On the recording, #MichaelCohen is talking to #Trump, it sounds like #HopeHicks in the background. Cohen is explaining they had just gotten served by The NYT to unseal records from Trump’s first divorce, from Ivana Trump.

At the end of the tape, Cohen tells Trump,

“I need to open up a company for the transfer of all of that info regarding our friend David.”
[The #NationalEnquirer’s David #Pecker]

#criminal #law #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #TrumpTrial

#TrumpTrial 🧵

Testimony started w/a bang last week as David #Pecker, the fmr publisher of The #NationalEnquirer, said that he had entered into a secret plot w/ #Trump & #MichaelCohen to #CatchAndKill negative stories about Trump as he ran for president in 2016.
#GaryFarro, the 3rd to testify, started off w/dry details about banking transactions. But #Farro is leading us to the #HushMoney payment

#criminal #law
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/04/30/nyregion/trump-hush-money-trial?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb

Questioning resumed.

#Pecker says of his time at The #NationalEnquirer: "We used checkbook #journalism, & we paid for stories.”

#Steinglass asked him whether he had "final say" over editorial decisions. Pecker said anything >$10k had to be approved by him.

Pecker said in his experience, the only thing that's important "is the cover" of a magazine.

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney

#Pecker described the types of people #tabloids typically use as sources: hotel workers, limo drivers, lawyers, etc.

#Trump's lawyers have tried to depict the ##NationalEnquirer #tabloid as a media company like any other. But Pecker's testimony that they practiced “#CheckbookJournalism," & his description of their editorial practices, undermines that argument.

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney

Here’s a sampling of #NationalEnquirer covers leading up to the 2016 presidential election:

Remember the twitter #TrumpLovesPecker hashtag?

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney

#GiftArticle ICYMI: #LachlanCartwright’s “What I Saw Working at The #NationalEnquirer During Donald #Trump’s Rise”

“…reading the indictment was like stepping through the looking glass,

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/03/magazine/national-enquirer-trump-lachlan-cartwright.html?unlocked_article_code=1.mU0.Bo8c.tkQySLkdTTR2&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb

#Blanche said that #StormyDaniels’s "testimony, while salacious, does not matter.”

Blanche equated the "#CatchAndKill" scheme w/The #NationalEnquirer, to ordinary editorial decisions made by newspapers, portraying the practice just how news outlets operate, NOT TRUE.

Blanche used the term "catch & kill" mockingly. Whether his tone lands depends on the jurors: some may agree it’s overblown, others may see it as akin to #StateMedia #propaganda.

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial

#Colangelo insists that much of #Cohen's testimony will be #corroborated, incl’g by witnesses from The #NationalEnquirer & "an extensive paper trail."

Because the prosecution bears the burden of proving its case beyond a reasonable doubt, it gets to go first (& last) in a #criminal case. The advantage of that can be seen in action here, as Colangelo gives the jury his own frame through which to view #MichaelCohen.

#law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #ElectionInterference #HushMoney

Reportedly, #Trump pursed his lips at ↑ that & wrote a note which he passed to his atty Todd Blanche, then whispered to atty, Emil Bove.

#Colangelo described a communication from Keith Davidson, the lawyer for #KarenMcDougal, to Dylan Howard, a #NationalEnquirer editor, as it became clear Trump was winning the #election: "What have we done," he said.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney

#Colangelo says #Pecker will testify that $150k was more than The #NationalEnquirer would typically have paid for such a deal, & that Pecker had trouble being reimbursed. Crucially, Colangelo says, Pecker will testify that he spoke to #Trump about it.

Colangelo mentions an audio #recording #Cohen made between himself & Trump discussing the #McDougal deal.

#criminal #law #Trump #TrumpTrial #CatchAndKill #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney

Colangelo is now describing the 2nd “#CatchAndKill” deal in question, relating to #KarenMcDougal, a fmr #PlayboyModel who said she had an affair w/ #Trump. #Colangelo says evidence will show that Trump “desperately” didn’t want that info public. “Before the meeting, during the meeting, after the meeting,” Colangelo says, #NationalEnquirer publisher was in touch w/ #MichaelCohen, putting this deal right at Trump’s doorstep.

#criminal #law #TrumpTrial #conspiracy #ElectionInterference #HushMoney

Prosecutors to highlight 3 hush-money deals: #Trump & co-conspirators paid off the #PornStar, the #PlayboyModel & the #doorman.

#Colangelo emphasizes it was the 1st time ever that #DavidPecker, #NationalEnquirer, paid for info relating to Trump.

key: every one of these acts involving #HushMoney sprang from the meeting at which the #conspiracy was hatched.

IOW, prosecutors are accusing Trump of using The NE to do for Trump what Trump constantly says others do against him: promote “#FakeNews.”

#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

Expected to be the first witness in the #TrumpTrial is #DavidPecker, the fmr publisher of the #NationalEnquirer, who bought & buried damaging stories about #Trump in a #CatchAndKill scheme to unlawfully #influence the 2016 presidential election.

#criminal #law #ElectionInterference #HushMoney