The publisher of magazines, David Pecker, is scheduled to be the initial witness in the criminal hush money trial involving former President Trump, as reported by The New York Times on Sunday, marking the start of the first criminal trial of a former president which begins on Monday.
The case against Trump revolves around payments to adult film star Stormy Daniels, with prosecutors alleging that the former president unlawfully concealed the payments just before the 2016 election in an effort to stop reports of an alleged previous relationship.
Pecker, who was the publisher of the National Enquirer at the time, confessed to engaging in a “catch-and-kill” strategy to help Trump win the 2016 election. This strategy involves the unethical practice of paying sources to keep negative stories about a person secret, specifically Trump in this case.
Pecker’s media company paid $150,000 to actress Karen McDougal, who similarly stated she had a relationship with Trump, around the same time as the payments to Daniels. The company then deliberately withheld McDougal’s story until after the election.
According to a source familiar with the prosecutors’ planned arguments, the Times reported that Pecker’s testimony is anticipated to focus on his discussions with Trump regarding the hush money payments.
Other notable witnesses in the case that are expected to be called include former Trump personal attorney Michael Cohen, who made the payments to Daniels, Daniels herself, and aide Hope Hicks, among others.
It is uncertain whether the former president will testify in his own defense.
Trump has criticized the case as a politically motivated diversion from the 2024 election. He has pleaded not guilty to charges of falsifying business records.
The trial is anticipated to take around six weeks.
