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Donald Trump made a surprise campaign stop at a construction site in New York early on Thursday morning en route to day seven of his hush money trial, where the jury is hearing further testimony from a former tabloid mogul who detailed the “catch-and-kill” scheme central to the case.
Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified on Tuesday about his agreement with Mr Trump and former attorney Michael Cohen to “kill” stories about the defendant’s alleged affairs.
New York Justice Juan Merchan may also rule today on whether Mr Trump should be held in contempt and fined $10,000 for allegedly violating a trial gag order by posting about witnesses and jurors on Truth Social.
Elsewhere, 11 local Republicans and several key Trump allies have been indicted in Arizona for allegedly joining a failed “fake elector” plot during the aftermath of the 2020 election to falsely certify Mr Trump’s victory in the state.
And, in Washington DC, attorneys for the former president will today deliver oral arguments in front of the US Supreme Court in support of his “presidential immunity” defence against prosecution in what promises to be a landmark hearing.
Alex Woodward is providing live updates from the courthouse in Manhattan.
We’re hearing about the Access Hollywood tape. Reminder: Jurors aren’t allowed to watch it, but attorneys can describe the contents.
It appears that Trump’s eyes are closed.
He’s moving around in his chair and bending his head to hear, so it looks as if he’s still listening.
Pecker says Cohen called him to take down a post on Radar Online showing Trump at the Playboy mansion. Trump was “very upset”.
We see an email from Dylan Howard on 8 October 2016 (one month before Election Day) noting that the Radar Online post was posted in 2008, before AMI owned it.
“Nevertheless, I have deleted the text story completely. It no longer exists,” Howard wrote.
The post titled was “Donald Trump, Playboy Man”
Pecker says he has never known Trump to use email.
‘The boss will take care of it’: Tabloid boss testifies to Trump’s plan to bury Playboy model’s affair allegations
Alex Woodward reporting from inside the courtroom where the former president is on trial...
A former tabloid publisher said he agreed to spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy politically compromising stories about Donald Trump with the assurance that “the boss will take care of it.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m your friend. The boss will take care of it,” Cohen told him, according to Mr Pecker.
Read on...
Court resumes
Court is back in session after a short break.
Alex Woodward continues to report from the courtroom for The Independent:
We’re hearing text messages from Dylan Howard suggesting that Trump would pardon him for election fraud. The judge is going to think about whether they can be included.
“The fact that they came off an AMI device is to me of no consequence,” he says.
Pecker and the jury aren’t present.
Steinglass says the prosecution has two-three hours left with Pecker. That’ll take them through the day, most likely.
Pecker returns to the stand and the jury is brought back in.
Trump vows to beat Biden in New York
Donald Trump vowed to beat President Joe Biden in the 2024 election in New York as he made a surprise campaign stop at a construction site in Manhattan early on Thursday morning – on a day when testimony resumes in his hush money trial and the US Supreme Court hears arguments in his “presidential immunity” case.
“We’re going to make a play for New York,” Mr Trump told reporters at the event.
Martha McHardy reports:
In pictures: Trump in court - day seven
When Pecker told Cohen that the deal was off, after his conversations with counsel about the transaction, “he was very, very angry, very upset, screaming basically at me. I said I’m not going forward with this agreement.”
“Michael Cohen said the boss will be very angry with you. I said I’m sorry, I’m not going forward, the deal is off,” Pecker said. “He said I can’t believe it. I’m the lawyer, I’m your friend.”
Steinglass: “Did AMI ever get reimbursed for the money it spent to acquire the exclusive rights to Ms McDougal’s story?”
“No, it never did.”
The court is taking a short break.
Trump has been pretty relaxed, he seems to be getting used to this, and he’s been carefully watching Pecker’s testimony while only slightly slouched in his chair.
We see an invoice from Investor Advisory Service Inc to Cohen’s shell company Resolution Consultants LLC for $125,000 on 21 September 2016.
“When I spoke to Michal Cohen, he said he was creating a company to receive the lifetime rights and that would reimburse, paid, that $125,000,” Pecker says.
The invoice is for the “agreed upon ‘flat fee’ for advisory services.”
Under questioning from Steinglass, Pecker admits it was not for that at all.
“It was for the lifetime rights to the Karen McDougal story.”
Pecker said he agreed to sign over the rights, but Cohen wanted to take out $25,000 that he valued as “editorial expenses” for McDougal’s columns and cover photos.
Watch: Trump announces possible rallies in South Bronx and Madison Square Garden
In September 2016, Cohen told Pecker that Trump wanted to acquire the rights to McDougal’s story.
Trump also “wanted all of the content that the National Enquirer had or developed and retained on Mr Trump.”
“I told Michael that these are old files, boxes, that were in Florida. The company has been moved to New York City,” Pecker said. “He insisted he wanted those boxes, wanted that content.”
“Cohen said, ‘the boss said if I get hit by a bus … he wouldn’t want someone else to publish those stories’.”
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2024-04-25 14:35:22Z
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