Who Is David Pecker? Ex-National Enquirer Publisher Admits ‘Catch And Kill’ Scheme On Trump’s Behalf At Hush Money Trial
Justice,Trump Indictments,Donald Trump,Hush Money
Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified to jurors in Trump’s Manhattan hush money trial this week about how he worked with Trump and his associates to manipulate coverage on Trump’s behalf—admitting Thursday he stifled affair allegations against Trump as part of an informal agreement with his friend in the lead-up to the 2016 election.
Pecker served from 1999 to 2020 as CEO of National Enquirer parent company American Media Inc., now A360 Media.
Pecker promised Trump after he launched his first presidential bid in 2015 he would act as a goalkeeper for potentially negative stories about him, publish others about Trump’s rivals, and ultimately orchestrate a series of “catch and kill” schemes to silence damning allegations against Trump, he admitted to jurors over three days of testimony.
Related Coverage
AllSides Picks
Red Blue Translator
Social Justice
Headline Roundup
Trump Signs Order Renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America
August 27th, 2026
Headline Roundup
New USPS Mail-In Voting Rules Take Effect After Courts Lift Injunctions
August 27th, 2026
Story of the Week
Meta Settles with 29 States
AllSides Staff
August 27th, 2026