David Packer believes Trump will pay him back for buying Playboy model story: Live Update

Donald Trump sits with members of his legal team in Manhattan Criminal Court on April 25, 2024 in New York City as his hush money trial continues.

Spencer Platt

Former National Enquirer publisher David Packer said Thursday that he believes he will be repaid by Donald Trump if he buys the story of former Playboy model Karen McDougall, who claims she had an extramarital affair with the former president.

Pekar, the first witness in Trump’s New York criminal hush money trial, testified that he told the then-presidential candidate in a June 2016 phone call that the story should be bought “to take it off the market.”

In a follow-up conversation, then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen told Pekar about McDougal’s purchase: “Don’t worry, I’m your friend and the boss will take care of it,” according to Trump’s deposition “American Media CEO.

Pekar believes the story is true and said he understood it to mean “I will be compensated by the Trump Organization or Donald Trump.”

The former tabloid publisher also testified that the McDougal purchase of the story was intended to suppress negative news about Trump before the 2016 election.

“We didn’t want this story to embarrass Mr. Trump or embarrass or hurt the campaign,” Peck said.

He testified that American Media never repaid the money it paid McDougal.

As Pekar testified, Trump’s lawyers were arguing in court. The Supreme Court ruled in Washington, D.C. that he could not be tried in a federal election interference case because he was president at the time of the alleged crimes.

Former US President Donald Trump looks on as prosecutor Joshua Stanglass cross-examines David Packer during Trump’s criminal trial in Manhattan State Court in New York City, US, on April 25. Fake business records to hide payments made in 2016 to silence porn star Stormy Daniels. 2024, in this courtroom sketch.

Jane Rosenberg

The court battle underscores the pressure on Republican presidential candidate Trump to face legal battles as he campaigns to remove the president from office. Joe Biden.

Trump faces a criminal trial in Manhattan Supreme Court. Judge Juan Marchant on Thursday rejected Trump’s request to skip at least part of his trial day for oral arguments before the Supreme Court.

The trial officially began with opening statements on Monday and is expected to last six weeks.

Trump has been accused of falsifying business records and buying the silence of porn star Stormy Daniels, who said she was married to Trump several years ago, as part of a scheme to influence the 2016 presidential election.

In his testimony Tuesday, Pekar detailed how he agreed to help Trump’s 2016 campaign, warned the then-candidate about the damaging information and worked to keep it from the public. He described his involvement in a deal to pay a former Trump Tower janitor $30,000 to tell the story of Trump fathering a child with a maid.

Peck argued that while he believed the story was untrue, he bought the exclusive rights to the story to “take it off the market.”

“I decided to buy the story because it might embarrass the campaign and Mr. Trump,” he testified.

Packer also said that at the behest of Trump’s personal attorney at the time, Michael Cohen, he and his tabloids would “embellish” negative stories about Trump’s political opponents.

It’s developing news. Please check back for updates.