Hush money trial: Trump’s defence grills publisher Pecker over ‘discrepancies’ in testimony

Former US president Donald Trump’s attorneys on Friday (Apr 26) tried discrediting a former tabloid publisher over his claims that his news outlet tried to suppress facts that couldhave a negative effect onTrump’s presidential campaign of 2016.

On Friday, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker was grilled by Trump’s defence. Pecker earlier testified that he worked with Trump’s campaign to suppress allegations of adultery. Trump lawyer Emil Bove tried highlighting discrepancies in his testimony.

Bove questioned whether Trump had actually thanked Pecker for handling negative stories as he claimed in his testimony. The defence raised questions as his statement conflicted with a report by FBI agents who previously interviewed Pecker, which said Trump had not expressed gratitude. But Pecker in his defence claimed that the FBI report itself could be wrong.

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"I know what I testified to, and I know what I remember," Pecker told the court, where 12 jurors and six alternates had assembled to hear Trump’s hush money trial. The case revolves around Trump allegedly falsifying business records and making payments to a porn star shortly before the elections to hide his illicit sexual relationship.

Pecker has testified that his tabloid paid to "catch and kill" two of those stories.

Trump denies these charges and has pleaded not guilty to the charges brought by New York prosecutors.

Pecker’s arguments

Pecker argued that it was usual for major celebrities to get in touch with Enquirer to get good publicity and kill negative stories about them. He also claimed to have served other celebrities in the past, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tiger Woods.

Pecker said how his paper first helped Trump back in 1998 as it gave him a heads up about a negative story linked to Marla Maples, his wife at the time.

Watch:Trump immunity trial: Trump faces SC immunity test as 'hush money trial' continues

Prosecutors allege that this kind of arrangement between the two sides corrupted the 2016 elections.

Justice Juan Merchan, who is hearing the hush money trial, is yet to rule on the gag order violations by Trump, whocould be fined$10,000 for these violations.

(With inputs from agencies)