A secret pact at Trump Tower helped kill bad stories in 2016

(snip)

The deal Pecker described was a mutual back-scratching arrangement in which Cohen would feed stories to the tabloid about Republican rivals like Ted Cruz, and the paper would publish glowing stories about Trump. Pecker said he had a “great relationship” with Trump dating to the late 1980s, but that didn’t seem to be his primary motivation. Stories about the brash celebrity businessman helped sell copies of the tabloid.

Prosecutors used the testimony by Pecker — who appeared cheerful and relaxed, and occasionally laughed as he testified — as a kind of guide into the world of celebrity gossip, backroom dealmaking and Trump’s secret fear that stories about his private life could damage his presidential bid.

Prosecutors say the 34 criminal counts at issue in the case — falsifying business records — grew out of the original idea of the Trump Tower meeting with Pecker: that Trump and his allies would find a way to “catch and kill” bad stories about him to protect him and his campaign.

(snip)

In court Tuesday, Steinglass said the statute in question is state election law 17-152 — conspiracy to promote or prevent an election. That law makes it a misdemeanor when two or more people “conspire to promote or prevent the election of any person to a public office by unlawful means.”

(snip)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/04/23/trump-new-york-trial-gag-order-contempt/



I believe the democracy hating *rump/Pecker/Cohen "catch and kill" conspiracy was destined to become an eventual predecessor for January 6th.