Former tabloid publisher continues testimony in Trump trial

Pecker is recounting his previous testimony, where Pecker says that Trump told him he did not buy stories because that "always gets out."

Ex-National Enquirer boss David Pecker has been asked to recount a phone call with Donald Trump in which Trump asked about former Playboy model Karen McDougal, who alleged she had an affair with the former president.

In June 2016, Pecker left a company meeting when he was informed by his assistant that he got a call from Trump.

Trump attorney Emil Bove asks if the former publisher recalls telling Trump, "She doesn't want her story published."

"Yes, I remember saying that," Pecker said.

Pecker hesitated at times in the testimony, appearing to lose his train of thought, and explained after one long pause that he "just wanted to make sure" he remembered.

Defense attorney Emil Bove asks ex-National Enquirer publisher David Pecker whether a story from Dino Sajudin, a Trump Tower doorman who was selling information about Donald Trump allegedly fathering a son, could have been "the biggest National Enquirer article ever."

Pecker agrees that it could have been.

Bove then asks, “So if this story was true you were going to run it right.”

Pecker answers, "Uh, yes.”

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass has objected repeatedly when Bove has referred to Donald Trump as President Trump as he discusses events about 2016.

"He wasn't President Trump," Steinglass said.

The judge sustained the objection.

Trump did not react at all during this back and forth. He is leaned back in his chair, his head cocked to look at Pecker, as he's answering questions.

Trump attorney Emil Bove is attempting to use deals American Media Inc. made with other celebrities to undermine the prosecution's argument and normalize the conduct, according to Adam Kaufman, a former executive assistant district attorney at the Manhattan District Attorney's office.

Bove is moving on to former Playboy model Karen McDougal's agreement now.

Pecker confirms that when an amended agreement was signed giving AMI exclusivity rights in perpetuity, Pecker still thought there was a small chance it could be true.

Bove asks, "You could not walk away from that possibility" that it was true, "however small it might be?" Pecker agrees.

Bove is emphasizing that McDougal's main interest was that she didn't want her story published. Pecker agrees.

Pecker confirms that it took several weeks after the source agreement was signed for American Media Inc. to try to vet Sajudin's story.

Bove asked Pecker: Sajudin threatened to take the story someplace else and "that is why you decided to pay Sajudin $30,000?"

Defense attorney Emil Bove is questioning ex-publisher David Pecker about the National Enquirer's practice of publishing stories based on other news organizations' reporting, as he continues a line of questioning around the tabloid's coverage of Trump's political foes.

"The National Enquirer was recycling information from other publications because it was cost-efficient and made business sense?" Bove asks. "Yes," Pecker testifies.

Bove notes that the tabloid's work included cultivating a network of sources. "But that's not what was happening" with these articles, he says.

"Yes," Pecker says.

Bove is showing the Wall Street Journal story about Karen McDougal published just before the 2016 election, saying it shows that American Media Inc.'s help for Trump was out there.

Bove cites a line in the story that said that since last year, the National Enquirer "has supported Mr Trump's presidential bid, endorsing him and publishing negative articles about some of his opponents."

Bove asks Pecker to confirm that the concept of "catch and kill" was not discussed at the August 2015 meeting at Trump Tower.

Pecker confirms to Bove that Trump and Cohen did not pay AMI any money in connection with the Dino Sajudin story. Sajudin was a former doorman at Trump Tower.

Pecker also confirms that AMI has executed "hundreds of thousands" of source agreements like the ones used for Sajudin and McDougal "over the years."