Trump’s impeachment examines David Packer on the fourth day of testimony

David Packer will end his week where he began: on the witness stand for the former president Donald Trump’s criminal trial in New York.

The former National Enquirer publisher was the first witness to take the stand after opening statements Monday. In more than three hours of testimony, Pekar described a plan in which he agreed to buy the rights to stories that might embarrass Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign so that they would not be published. Commonly known as “catch and kill”.

On Thursday, Packer said the arrangement resulted in him paying $150,000 to model Karen McDougal, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump in 2006. Trump has denied the relationship.

Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts of falsifying business records. The allegations relate to damages from her former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who paid adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election to suppress her relationship with Trump over claims that sexual contact had occurred.

Peck said he remembered talking to Cohen about Daniels but refused to believe his story. Peck said he told Cohen, “I’m not a bank,” and suggested he buy Daniels’ story himself. Peck spent $180,000 on the first two “Catch and Kill” stories.

After Trump won the election, the president-elect thanked him for his work securing the copyright of two “embarrassing” stories, Peck said.

“I want to thank you for handling the McDougal incident” and “the doorman incident,” Trump said, Pekar recalled.

At the end of the day, Peck was cross-examined by defense attorney Emil Bove, who asked Peck if he had “captured” and “killed” stories about other celebrities.

Peck recounts that he did this to actor and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, professional golfer Tiger Woods, actor Mark Wahlberg and Rahm Emanuel (President Barack Obama’s first chief of staff and later mayor of Chicago).

The former media executive will return to the witness stand on Friday. The court will resume at 9:30 am.