David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, testified on Thursday that he consulted with top Trump White House officials when considering whether to extend a hush money contract with former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal.
In 2016, Pecker offered McDougal a two-year contract worth $150,000 from American Media Inc. the parent company of the National Enquirer, as part of an agreement to keep her silent about an alleged affair with then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. In return, McDougal would write articles for AMI’s magazines and serve as a red carpet event anchor for Radar Magazine.
According to testimony reported by MSNBC’s Vaughn Hillyard, after McDougal conducted a sit-down interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Donald Trump angrily called Pecker. Trump believed that AMI had an exclusive agreement with McDougal to prevent her from sharing her story outside of AMI’s media entities. Pecker explained to Trump that the initial contract was for six months, and discussions to extend it had included White House officials Hope Hicks and Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Trump told Pecker that the decision was his to make, ultimately leading to the contract’s expiration.
Karen McDougal did a sit-down interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper. After that interview aired, Donald Trump, David Pecker is testifying to, angrily called up David Pecker about how this happened, because he thought that AMI had an agreement with Karen McDougal for her not to be able to share her story anywhere outside of the National Enquirer and its other entities.
And that’s when David Pecker had informed him that, look, a couple of months ago we had conversations about Karen McDougal’s contract that initially it was just six months, and here was talk that included even Hope Hicks and Sarah Huckabee Sanders — because this was during the White House years — about whether to extend Karen McDougal’s contract. And Trump at one point, David Pecker reminded him, Donald Trump, according Pecker told him, “It’s your business.” And at that point, he lets the contract run out. So, what did Karen McDougal do? She went and did a sit-down interview with Anderson Cooper.
Trump has denied having an affair with McDougal, but prosecutors stated that the testimony regarding payments to McDougal would help establish a pattern of payments in relation to business fraud charges against Trump. This testimony links White House officials with decisions involving hush money contracts, suggesting involvement at the highest levels of the administration.
These revelations come as Trump is facing 34 felony counts of business fraud related to a $130,000 payment to adult actress Stormy Daniels for her silence over an alleged affair. Despite the ongoing trial and testimonies, Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
