Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker described the very first story he “caught and killed” pursuant to his agreement with Donald Trump and his then-attorney Michael Cohen: a false story from a Trump Tower doorman in 2015.
Trump, sitting at the defense table, shook his head when Pecker laid out the allegation: that “Donald Trump fathered an illegitimate girl with a maid at Trump Tower.”
Pecker testified that he “immediately called Michael Cohen” when his team got wind of those allegations being shopped by the doorman, Dino Sajudin. Cohen told him it was “absolutely not true” — but Pecker testified he ultimately moved forward with buying the story to the tune of $30,000.
“This could be a very big story. I believe that it is important that it should be removed from the market,” Pecker said he told Cohen.
Asked about Cohen’s response, Pecker said: “He said the boss would be very pleased,” saying he understood “the boss” to mean Donald Trump.
Pecker testified that Cohen later called back to say the story is “absolutely not true” and that Trump “would take a DNA test” — an apparently new revelation — but Pecker said it wouldn’t be necessary.
Pecker conceded that if the story turned out to be true, it “probably would be the biggest sale” for the paper since the death of Elvis Presley.
Still, Pecker testified he would have held it until after the campaign was over.
“I would have published it after the election,” Pecker said. “That was the conversation I had with Michael Cohen, and that’s what we agreed to.”
Ultimately, the story turned out to be untrue — but Pecker still paid for it.
“Why are you paying $30,000 for an untrue story?” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked while displaying the contract Pecker had with Sajudan to the jury.
“Because if the story got out to another publication, it would have been embarrassing for the campaign,” Pecker said.
“So this was a way to lock it up?” Steinglass asked.
“That’s correct,” Pecker responded.
