During the cross-examination of the prosecution’s first witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker, defense attorney Emil Bove aimed to raise doubts about the core arguments in Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against former President Donald Trump. Bove highlighted the tabloid’s practice of purchasing stories to prevent their release, a common tactic in what has been referred to as “checkbook journalism.”
By pointing out that this practice was not unusual, Bove sought to portray the deal with former playboy model Karen McDougal as standard procedure rather than part of an illegal conspiracy to influence the 2016 election. He emphasized other instances where Pecker’s magazine suppressed damaging stories for public figures like Rahm Emanuel, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and others, suggesting that such actions were not out of the ordinary.
Prosecution is done with questions. Trump’s defense attorney is now questioning Pecker.
— Katelynn Richardson (@katesrichardson) April 25, 2024
Additionally, it was stressed that Pecker’s association with Trump began before the 2016 election. Bove highlighted that for more than ten years, Pecker had been alerting Trump to any potential negative media coverage, with the first instance occurring in 1998, as confirmed by Pecker himself. Pecker acknowledged that he