During his testimony, David Pecker revealed details about a 2003 incident involving Arnold Schwarzenegger that led him to have concerns about the legality of paying to suppress negative stories about a political candidate. Pecker, who was purchasing several fitness magazines at the time, recounted a meeting with Schwarzenegger, who had graced the covers of these magazines numerous times.
Schwarzenegger expressed his desire to become an editor-at-large and informed Pecker of his intention to run for California governor. Schwarzenegger made a request to Pecker not to publish any negative stories about him, to which Pecker agreed. Shortly after this agreement, Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy on Jay Leno's show.
