David Pecker is expected to be the first witness called in Trump hush money trial, source says

CNN —

David Pecker, the former chairman of the National Enquirer’s parent company, is expected to be the first witness called by the Manhattan district attorney’s office in former President Donald Trump’s criminal hush money trial, according to a person familiar with the plans.

Pecker was a central player in the alleged scheme to pay hush money to adult-film star Stormy Daniels to cover up her alleged affair with Trump ahead of the 2016 presidential election.

The DA’s office is expected to call him after the completion of opening statements, which are set to begin Monday. The New York Times was first to report on the expected witness.

As the then-chairman and CEO of American Media Inc., Pecker was involved in numerous “catch-and-kill” schemes orchestrated on Trump’s behalf.

In October 2016, an agent for Daniels contacted AMI and said she was willing to go public with her allegations of an affair with Trump. The former president has denied the affair.

This composite image shows former President Donald Trump (center), Stormy Daniels (top left), Michael Cohen (middle left), David Pecker (bottom left), Hope Hicks (top right), Alvin Bragg (middle right) and Judge Juan Merchan (bottom right).

Related article Here are the key players in Trump’s hush money trial

Pecker then allegedly contacted Trump’s personal attorney, Michael Cohen, who negotiated the deal to “purchase [her] silence” for $130,000, according to court filings.

That $130,000 payment, which was reimbursed to Cohen by the Trump Organization, is at the center of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s case against the former president. Bragg accused Trump in an April 2023 indictment of “falsifying New York business records in order to conceal