Despite a gag order prohibiting public statements about jurors and witnesses, former President Donald Trump has been vocal in criticizing individuals set to testify in his criminal trial in Manhattan. However, one person Trump has refrained from attacking publicly is David Pecker, the former chairman, CEO, and president of American Media Inc (AMI), who was the only witness called to the stand in the trial’s initial stages.
Legal commentator and former agent Asha Rangappa believes Trump’s silence towards Pecker stems from the latter’s perceived power. According to Rangappa, Pecker’s ability to generate potentially damaging stories about Trump, including negative or even fabricated ones, gives him leverage over the former president.
Pecker testified that he met with Trump and his former attorney Michael Cohen at Trump Tower in August 2015, where they discussed ways to assist Trump’s 2016 campaign. Pecker agreed to publish positive stories about Trump and negative ones about his opponents, and offered to act as the campaign’s “eyes and ears,” informing Cohen of any negative stories he heard being offered to news outlets.
Prosecutors allege that the three men conspired to conceal negative information about Trump in order to influence the 2016 presidential election. Trump has been charged with 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in relation to the alleged hush money payment made to Daniels during the election campaign. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied the affair with Daniels.
Retired FBI agent David Gomez concurs with Rangappa’s assessment, stating that Trump fears negative publicity from insiders and threats to expose his corporate fraud. Pecker’s identity had been a point of contention between the prosecution and the defense, with Trump’s attorneys initially objecting to the withholding of witness names. However, the prosecution’s concerns about potential retaliation from Trump led to an agreement to provide the name of the first witness, with a warning that any public comments by Trump about the witness would result in the discontinuation of such courtesy.
Despite Pecker’s role as a witness for the prosecution, he and Trump appear to remain amicable. During a break in the trial, Pecker was observed smiling at the defense table while exiting the courtroom. Pecker has also acknowledged having a “great relationship” with Trump over the years.
