During former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial, David Pecker, ex-CEO of American Media Inc. (AMI), provided a detailed account of the “catch and kill” tactics he employed to suppress stories detrimental to various high-profile individuals, including Trump. Pecker’s testimony unveiled the mechanics behind these operations, which involved purchasing the rights to potentially harmful stories and then burying them to prevent publication.
Pecker recounted instances where he orchestrated the purchase of stories for celebrities like Arnold Schwarzenegger, where he intervened by buying out over 30 allegations from women during Schwarzenegger’s 2003 California gubernatorial campaign. Pecker described an arrangement with Schwarzenegger where he was to be notified of any threatening stories, which he then secured, suppressing them during Schwarzenegger’s political run.
The practice extended beyond celebrities to political figures, with Pecker admitting to purchasing stories about Trump during the lead-up to the 2016 presidential election. This included a well-documented payment to former Playboy Playmate Karen McDougal for $150,000 to secure her silence about an alleged affair with Trump.
Pecker’s testimony revealed the strategic and financial lengths to which he went to protect reputations, spending “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in some instances. His actions were part of a broader strategy to leverage damaging stories not just for suppression but also for favorable coverage, as evidenced by a deal with Tiger Woods that exchanged silence for a magazine cover, or suppressing negative stories about actor Mark Wahlberg.
The legal implications of these actions were highlighted as prosecutors argued that Trump, with the help of Pecker and his attorney Michael Cohen, attempted to influence the outcome of the election by concealing these stories from the public, thereby committing fraud.
Pecker, distancing himself from his previous alliance with Trump, stated in court that although he had not been in contact with Trump since 2019, he still considered him a friend and a mentor. His testimony underscored the intricate and often covert operations behind media manipulation and the legal boundaries of such practices, which are now under judicial scrutiny.