Pecker believed the doorman's story was false, but he paid for it anyway
Pecker testified that the agreement was amended to pay Sajudin within five days — even though the publishing executive had concluded that his story about Trump's supposed illegitimate child was "1,000% untrue."
Pecker explained that he ponied up the cash to make sure that Sajudin didn't take his claims elsewhere and embarrass Trump's presidential campaign.
“I made the decision to buy the story because of the potential embarrassment to the campaign and Mr. Trump," Pecker testified.
Pecker says he agreed to pay $30K for doorman's story
Pecker testified that he negotiated to pay $30,000 for a story sourced by Trump's doorman.
Pecker said that after he agreed to pay for the story, Cohen said "the boss," referring to Trump, was very pleased.
“I’ll pay for it," Pecker said during his testimony, recounting the exchange with Cohen. "This’ll be a very big story. I believe it’s important he should be removed from the market, so we’ll acquire the story."
Prosecutor cuts off Pecker
Pecker said he spoke to Howard to verify whether the story about Trump having a child with the housekeeper in the penthouse was true, and he recalled saying that there should be a source agreement with Dino Sajuddin and that he should take a polygraph.
Steinglass abruptly cut Pecker off.
“What you’re about to say, don’t say that,” Steinglass told Pecker.
Trump's eyes closed as prosecutors ask Pecker about illegitimate child claim
Trump's eyes were closed and he did not seem to have any visible reaction as Steinglass started asking Pecker about Dino Sajudin, a doorman at Trump Tower who purportedly tried to sell a story about Trump fathering an illegitimate child with a maid who worked at the New York City skyscraper.
"Dino was in the market selling a story that Donald Trump fathered an illegitimate girl with a maid in — at — at Trump Tower," Pecker said, explaining that he learned about Sojudin from former National Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard, who purportedly got a tip from one of his sources.
Pecker testified that, when he learned about Howard's tip, he "immediately" called Cohen and "told him exactly what I was told." Pecker said that Cohen told him the doorman's claim was "absolutely not true, but I'll check it out."
Pecker interpreted Cohen's comments as a denial that Trump had fathered a child with a maid. He testified that he reached out to Cohen because "anything I heard in the marketplace about Donald Trump, I would run by Michael Cohen."
The publishing executive testified that he instructed Howard to buy Sojudin's story and take it off the market.
Trump sitting alone during bench conference
Trump is sitting alone at the defense table while his lawyers and the prosecutors have a meeting at the judge's bench.
The meeting was called after Trump lawyer Emil Bove raised an objection to prosecutor Joshua Steinglass' attempt to put some exhibits into evidence.
Analysis: Steinglass using Pecker to expand evidence
Steinglass is asking a series of questions to allow the admission of AMI business records, including texts and emails, into the trial's evidence that Pecker himself might not be on.
This is important because as the chairman and CEO during the time period in question, Pecker can authenticate these records and get them into evidence.
Analysis: DA's office finally identifies what they allege was the underlying crime
The defense is objecting to Steinglass asking about Bannon's requests on hearsay grounds, arguing that they have had no notice that Bannon was considered a co-conspirator.
Steinglass’ response includes an important point: Bannon's requests to Pecker are relevant to the “primary” underlying crime that Trump was trying to commit or conceal under New York Election Law 17-152.
Bragg's office has not identified with any precision what the crime is that Trump allegedly intended to commit or conceal. Through this sidebar about an evidentiary objection, Steinglass has now admitted that New York Election Law 17-152, which prohibits conspiracies to promote the election of a specific candidate through unlawful means, is that “primary” predicate.
Trump lawyers object to Steven Bannon evidence
Pecker talked about his discussions with Steve Bannon, one of Trump's former campaign and White House strategists.
Pecker testified that Trump had told him that he and Bannon would “work very well together,” and Bannon then asked whether Pecker could send him other Enquirer issues for Bannon’s review.
It appears that Steinglass is trying to elicit evidence about requests Bannon made purportedly on behalf of the campaign. Emil Bove, one of Trump's lawyers, has objected, and they are now having a sidebar.
The prosecution agreed to stop asking Pecker about Bannon — but this seems to be a point that will continue to come up.
Jury is taking a short break
The jury is taking a short break.
Pecker explains genesis of baseless Enquirer article about Ted Cruz's father
Pecker has testified that the National Enquirer pushed negative articles about Trump's opponents in the 2016 GOP primary, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. The publishing executive was just asked about an Enquirer article claiming that the Republican lawmaker's father, Rafael Cruz, associated with Lee Harvey Oswald before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Pecker claimed that former Enquirer editor-in-chief Dylan Howard and the magazine's research department had worked on the article. "We mashed the photos and the different picture with Lee Harvey Oswald ... we mashed the two together," Pecker testified. "That's how that story was prepared — created, I would say."
In the heat of the 2016 GOP primary, Trump pointed to that Enquirer article to support his conspiracy theory, saying that the tabloid's claim that it had photographic evidence of a link between the elder Cruz and Oswald was credible.