David Pecker, the former chairman of American Media Inc., which publishes the National Enquirer, has been implicated in several 'catch-and-kill' schemes allegedly orchestrated on behalf of former President Donald Trump. These schemes involved suppressing damaging stories about Trump by paying off individuals who threatened to go public.
One such instance involved adult film star Stormy Daniels, who reportedly contacted AMI in October 2016 to reveal her alleged affair with Trump. Pecker then reached out to Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who negotiated a deal to keep Daniels silent, as detailed in court documents from Cohen's plea agreement.
In a separate incident, AMI agreed to pay model Karen McDougal $150,000 prior to the 2016 election to prevent her from disclosing her alleged affair with Trump. While this payment is not directly linked to charges against Trump, prosecutors are expected to use it as evidence of a pattern of hush money payments.
Pecker has been granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation with authorities, and AMI has signed a non-prosecution agreement with prosecutors. These developments shed light on the behind-the-scenes efforts to protect Trump's image during his presidential campaign and raise questions about the legality of such arrangements.
