Trump hush money trial: Key witness reveals alleged 'catch and kill' scheme to buy sex stories

Former United States president Donald Trump'scriminal hush money trial took an interesting turn on Thursday(April 25) after akeywitness divulged details of the role he played in hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels.

He also spoke about how Trump tried to suppress negative stories around him.

During the trial, the National Enquirer's former publisher David Pecker spoke about the efforts made by him to bury negative stories and shield the 2016 presidential campaign of Donal Trump, which included finalising a $150,000 deal with a former Playboy model who claimed to have an affair with Trump.

As he appeared in the court on the third day, Pecker also spoke about the Enquirer buying the rights to Karen McDougal's story, however, never publishing her allegations, a tactic which is called "catch and kill."

Speaking to jurors about why he did not purchase the story rights himself, Pecker said, "I said, I don't want the National Enquirer to be associated with a porn star. Our largest retailer is Walmart...This would be very bad for the magazine, very bad for American MediaandI don't want any affiliation."

He was speaking about American Media, Inc., which was the owner of the Enquirer. Till 2020, Pecker was the CEO of AMI.

Here are some major revelations made by Trump's one-time aide Pecker

Peckersaid that when Playboy model Karen McDougal tried to sell her story about the alleged year-long relationship she had with Trump, he was instructed by American attorney Michael Cohen to purchase her story and was informed that Trump would compensate the cost.

Pecker bought exclusive rights to McDougal's storyby paying $150,000 so it wouldn't "embarrass Mr. Trump or embarrass or hurt the campaign."

Speaking about his role, Pecker said that he brokered Michael Cohen's infamous $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels, a monetary transaction which underpinned the 34 felony charges Trump now faces.

Pecker remembered how he got a frantic phone call from his editor at the National Enquirer while he was out at a dinner in 2016 with an offer to purchase Daniels' story.

Watch:US top court hears Trump's bid for immunity from prosecution

Pecker said that he was not willing to engage in another "catch-and-kill" deal on Trump's behalf, however, he instructed his editor to give one chance to Michael Cohen to take the story "off the market," which was done by Cohen out of hisownpocket.

Pecker, during the cross-examination, also spoke about other catch-and-kill arrangements which he had over the years. These deals included buying a story for Rep. Rahm Emanuel for $20,000 and suppressingit.

He also revealed about the agreement he made with Arnold Schwarzenegger before the actor's run for California governor. As per the agreement, Schwarzenegger was to serve as an editor-at-large for some of the fitness magazines of AMI in exchange for suppressing some negative stories about hisownpast interactions with women.

(With inputs from agencies)