Trump hush money trial live updates: David Pecker returns to witness stand

Alex Woodward reviews from the courtroom:

Bove has lower than an hour of cross-examination left. Then there’s some redirect.

It’s extremely doubtless that Pecker will likely be accomplished immediately.

I doubt we’ll get an thought who the following witness will likely be for Monday, however final time prosecutors gave the defence a heads-up the afternoon earlier than.

To this point, Bove hasn’t accomplished a lot if something to undermine Pecker’s credibility, and Pecker’s description of occasions is constant along with his prior testimony.

Jurors are solely getting the defence’s perspective, not something new about what occurred.

“That is the FBI’s interview, is that appropriate? These are the FBI notes? The FBI notes, a few of these right here, are fallacious. I do know what I testified to yesterday,” says Pecker.

Are you saying the FBI made a mistake right here?

“I do know what the reality is. I can’t state why it’s written this fashion.”

Bove: “Your testimony is inconsistent with what’s written right here?”

Steinglass, loudly: “Objection.”

Morning recess. quarter-hour.

Throughout that assembly on 6 January 2017, in line with Pecker yesterday, Trump advised him “I need to thanks for dealing with the McDougal scenario” and “the doorman scenario”.

Bove: “Was {that a} mistake?”

Bove: “Do you imagine Trump stated that to you as we sit right here proper now?”

Bove reminds him about what prosecutors in different conferences have stated concerning the significance of telling the reality, and the way it may very well be prison if he doesn’t.

He’s reminded of a report from a gathering with legislation enforcement concerning the assembly that notes that “Trump didn’t categorical any gratitude in direction of Pecker and AMI.”

Bove exhibits the interview report back to Pecker.

He’s been scanning the doc and may’t appear to search out what Bove is telling him.

Questioning now turns to the subject of Stormy Daniels.

“You didn’t authorise [editor Dylan] Howard to talk to Keith Davidson about Stormy Daniels?” Sure.

What Howard did was “unauthorised and outdoors of his employment?”

Steinglass objects. It’s sustained.

When Howard advised him that Michael Cohen has not paid Keith Davidson, “you have been stunned to listen to that” since you advised him to “keep out of it” and also you have been “not blissful.”

“The primary concern was Howard’s status,” Bove says. “The priority was Dylan Howard would look unhealthy [if he doesn’t pay his sources] … And he stated that to you.”

“And so that you and Howard known as Cohen, stated to Cohen, I would like you to know I’m not paying or doing something on this. And also you meant it.” Pecker agrees.

Bove is asking concerning the assembly that Pecker walked into with James Comey, Sean Spicer et al when he was being briefed on the Fort Lauderdale mass taking pictures.

“You knew that after that assembly there have been some points between President Trump and James Comey, proper?”

There’s an objection, a sidebar with Choose Merchan, after which the objection is sustained.

The courtroom is now wanting on the cost to McDougal.

Bove asks whether or not everybody who signed on to this was following process, and that there have been no “false entries.”

“You didn’t do something inappropriate while you consulted counsel [about McDougal]? … While you advised Cohen the deal was ‘bulletproof’, you meant it since you had authorized recommendation?”

In reference to Keith Davidson [McDougal’s lawyer], Bove asks about him studying that Dylan Howard was “utilizing a serious lawyer as a supply”?

Pecker: “I wouldn’t classify him as a serious lawyer.”

Pecker says Howard was simply certainly one of “50, a number of different editors” on the time, and “all of them have their very own sources” and the way they get tales. He’s suggesting there wasn’t something uncommon about that pipeline.

The “main lawyer” reply obtained fun within the overflow room. Pecker smirked a bit.

Bove turns to the settlement signed by Karen McDougal, specializing in the majority of that association, regarding her position working for AMI properties.

“AMI advised Ms McDougal that her promotion to AMI magazines could be value a whole lot of 1000’s of {dollars}?”

“Working 65 tales with Ms McDougal’s title?”

“When AMI signed this settlement … you believed it had a reputable enterprise goal, appropriate?”

Yesterday, Pecker stated he included these roles to “substantiate the $150,000 cost” to purchase the rights to her story: “With respect to marketing campaign, uh, legal guidelines, I wished to have the contract be a report that stipulates that – for the providers that she was going to carry out for American Media – has a foundation for it.”

Bove recollects Cohen attempting to get a job with Mark Cuban in summer time 2016, and Cohen calling on Pecker for a “little assist” to rearrange paparazzi to cowl a gathering between them.

Publishing these images would “put stress on Trump to deal with Cohen otherwise” Bove says.

“Michael Cohen by no means stated that to me,” Pecker says. He admits that it might’ve regarded that manner.

Pecker recollects Trump calling him in June 2016, which he beforehand recounted earlier this week.

“Mr Trump known as my workplace … Since I used to be in Chatham, New Jersey, my assistant transferred the decision to Chatham. When the decision got here in, the assistant within the workplace, a small workplace, came visiting and advised me President Trump was on the telephone.”

“After I spoke to Mr Trump, he wished to know, he requested me, I spoke to Michael [Cohen], and I need to speak to you about Karen McDougal. So he stated, Is it true there’s a Mexican group trying to purchase the story for $8m? I stated no, I don’t imagine that’s true. Two, he stated that [long pause] I’m recollecting fully. He stated that [pause] I stated that this story about Karen, since she’s claiming she had a relationship with you, needs to be taken off the market. Mr Trump stated I don’t purchase tales as a result of it at all times will get out. I stated I nonetheless assume you should purchase the story. Mr Trump stated I’ll converse to Michael and get again to you.”

One observe: when Bove launched McDougal, he was attempting to get Pecker to confess that he knew about her as a result of she was as soon as a canopy mannequin for AMI property Males’s Health. However Pecker stated they by no means met. He didn’t know her.