'Karen is a nice girl': David Pecker testifies Trump knew Playboy model Karen McDougal
Former tabloid executive David Pecker testified Thursday that he believed former president Donald Trump knew of former Playboy model Karen McDougal and knew about the $150,000 payment she received for rights to her story.
On day seven of Trump's trial for 34 counts of falsifying business records, Pecker, the former head of the National Enquirer parent company, took the witness stand again.
Prosecutors had already peppered him with questions Tuesday to set the stage about how his company American Media Inc. sought to help Trump's campaign by stopping negative stories about him.
McDougal had a story about a 2006 affair to share, though Trump denies it happened. Here is what Pecker testified about Trump and McDougal's relationship.
Trump trial live updates:New witness to testify on alleged hush money scheme
'Karen is a nice girl,' Trump said, according to Pecker
In June 2016, McDougal's lawyer contacted the National Enquirer offering her story about the alleged affair with Trump, according to a Federal Election Commission agreement with the company. Pecker and another executive within American Media Inc. notified Cohen about the story, the FEC agreement states.
During his testimony Thursday, Pecker described a phone call he had with Trump about McDougal's story.
"I spoke to Michael. Karen is a nice girl," Trump said during the call, Pecker said on the witness stand.
Pecker said that comment made him believe Trump knew who McDougal was. Trump asked what Pecker thought he should do, according to Pecker. Pecker recommended Trump buy McDougal's story and take it off the market.
Pecker testified he thought Trump knew about $150,000 paid for McDougal's story
Asked by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass why Pecker thought Trump should buy the story, Pecker testified he believed her story was true, and he thought it would have been very embarrassing for Trump personally as well as for Trump's campaign.
Pecker went on to recount a discussion with Michael Cohen about who would ultimately pay the $150,000 hush money to Karen McDougal to keep her story of an affair with Trump quiet ahead of the 2016 presidential election. Cohen allegedly told Pecker not to worry, "the boss will take care of it." Pecker testified he understood that to mean he would be reimbursed either by the Trump Organization or Donald Trump.
Pecker described the agreement with McDougal, which included the $150,000 and a monthly column in two different magazines.
Pecker also said Michael Cohen knew about the hush money agreement to keep McDougal quiet, and he believed Donald Trump also knew.
Who is Karen McDougal?
Karen McDougal is a former Playboy model.
Former Trump lawyer and convicted felon Michael Cohen negotiated the payment she received as part of a "catch and kill" strategy to block negative stories about Trump while he ran for president.
McDougal has since spoken out about her affair with Trump, saying it lasted for 10 months starting in 2006. He denies the allegation.
She is expected to take the stand, though the prosecutors have kept the official witness list close to their chest.
Who is David Pecker?
David Pecker, former CEO and president of American Media Inc., is the first witness on the stand at Trump's Manhattan criminal trial.
AMI entered a non-prosecution agreement with the Justice Department, acknowledging the payment was “substantially more than AMI otherwise would have paid for the story,” because they were to be repaid by Cohen.
The company was also fined $187,500 by the FEC for helping Trump's election, but the Justice Department granted Pecker immunity from prosecution.
Contributing: Bart Jansen