‘Fake news plot to help Don win vote’
FIRST HUSH MONEY TRIAL WITNESS
THE boss of America’s National Enquirer magazine has told a court how he created fake news to help Donald Trump win the White House.
David Pecker, the former CEO of the tabloid’s parent company, outlined the scheme as the first witness in the ex-US President’s hushmoney trial.
Trump is accused of falsifying business records to hide a $130,000 (€121,000) payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels to stop her from making claims about an extramarital affair.
Friend
Mr Pecker told how he offered to help his old friend with stories attacking rivals and suppressing those that reflected poorly on the businessman.
In August 2015, he “received a call from [Trump’s lawyer] Michael Cohen telling me the boss wanted to see me”.
He said
A PROTESTER has pleaded guilty to intimidating Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae by throwing a bottle at and blocking him during an “aggressive” rally outside Government buildings.
About 200 people held a rally outside Leinster House on September 20 as the
Dail resumed following the summer recess.
It led to several arrests and afterwards the independent TD condemned the conduct of protesters as he and an intern from his office attempted to leave the area.
Dean Hickson (22) of Griffith Parade, Finglas East Dublin, appeared at Dublin District Court before Judge Paula Murphy yesterday.
Mr Cohen and Trump asked what he and his magazines could do to help the businessman’s 2016 White House campaign.
Mr Pecker said that “writing positive stories about Mr Trump and covering the election, and writing negative stories about his opponents” helped them both, increasing tabloid sales while benefiting the election campaign. But Mr Pecker asked that the “catchand-kill” arrangement, where stories were bought to never be published, was kept secret. He did not want it to “leak” that his paper was aiding Trump. Mr Pecker also told of a story concocted about Trump’s thenRepublican rival Ted Cruz. It was untrue that Cruz’s dad
He was accused of intimidating Mr Healy-Rae at Kildare Street, Dublin
2 on September
20. His solicitor,
Donal Quigley, confirmed he was pleading guilty and said he wished to apologise to the politician.
Hickson, who has no prior criminal convictions, was remanded on continuing bail pending sentence so that a victim impact statement could be prepared.
Following an investigation, was linked to John F Kennedy’s assassination but Trump used it.
The former president has denied having a sexual encounter with Ms Daniels and argues the payments to Mr Cohen were legitimate legal expenses.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records.
The prosecution has pressed for him to be held in contempt after he called witnesses Mr Cohen and Ms Daniels “sleaze bags”. The judge said he would make a decision later.
Reference
The White House has steered clear of talking about the trial, but spokesman Andrew Bates appeared to make a sly reference to it yesterday.
While speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, which was en route to Florida, Mr Bates began his briefing by asking that “nobody fall asleep while we talk”.
Some reporters said it appeared there were times that Trump drifted off to sleep while watching the trial proceedings. His campaign has disputed this.
The trial resumes tomorrow. gardai charged him in February.
Pearse Street Garda Chloe Rochfort obtained directions from the DPP to charge Hickson under the NonFatal Offences Against the Person Act. The DPP directed summary disposal in the District Court, which can impose a 12-month sentence and a fine.
Judge Murphy adjourned the case for four weeks so that gardai could ask him if he wanted to provide a victim impact statement.