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Court hears about text messages between former National Enquirer editor and Davidson: 'Did he cheat on Melania'
Victoria Bekiempis
In later texts, former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard asked Keith Davidson, “Did he cheat on Melania?” and “Do you know if the affair was during his marriage to Melania?”
“And how did you respond to this text?” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Davidson.
“I really cannot say yet, sorry,” Davidson said, reading his text to Howard aloud.
Steinglass asked whether it was because he didn’t know, or whether it was because he wasn’t in a position to tell Howard. Davidson said:
It’s because it was the latter – I was not prepared to discuss the details at this point.
“How did M. Howard respond?” Steinglass asked.
“OK, keep me informed,” Davidson replied.
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Donald Trump was photographed blowing out his cheeks as he returned to the courtroom following a short break in the trial on Tuesday.
The court is taking a break, and will resume at 2.15pm ET.
Keith Davidson is expected to continue testifying after lunch.
Victoria Bekiempis
On 28 July 2016, Dylan Howard said in a text:
We are going to lay it on thick for her.
At this time, Keith Davidson said, he responded:
Good, throw in an ambassadorship for me. I’m thinking Isle of Mann.
”What did you mean by that?” the prosecution asked. Davidson said:
Uh, it was sort of in jest. But I was, that was just a joke.
“Why was that a joke, why was that funny?” Steinglass pressed.
Well, I don’t think, I don’t even think the Isle of Mann is a country and I don’t, I know they don’t have an ambassador. But I think it was a reference to Mr Trump’s candidacy.
Steinglass asked him to explain more. Davidson said:
That somehow, if Karen [McDougal] did this deal with AMI, that somehow it would help Mr Trump’s candidacy.
Victoria Bekiempis
The conversations between Keith Davidson and former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard continued in late July, with Howard texting Davidson and saying:
Get me a price on [Karen] McDougal. All in. Consulting gig perhaps as a fitness expert thrown into mix.
Davidson responded, reading the text aloud in court:
How about 1m now and 75k a year for the next 2 years as a fitness correspondent for ami [American Media Inc] and ur related pubs..
“I’ll take it to them, but thinking it’s more hundreds than millions,” Howard said.
”How did you respond to that?” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked.
“800 now and 100 per year for two years for a total of 1m.”
Howard said, “Leave w/me,” Davidson said.
“How did you take that?”
Davidson said:
That we we really weren’t in the same ballpark.
Victoria Bekiempis
On 22 July, Keith Davidson reached out to former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard once again, writing:
Don’t forget about Cohen. Time is of the essence. The girl is being cornered by the estrogen mafia.
“Who is Cohen in this email?” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked. Davidson said Michael Cohen.
“And what did you mean that time is of the essence?”
Davidson said:
I think at the time Karen [McDougal] was sort of teetering, she was about to enter into a deal with ABC.
“What did you mean by the girl is being cornered by the estrogen mafia?”
Davidson said:
It’s a very unfortunate, regrettable text I sent. That phrase is not one that I used or came up with. That term, I think, [was] by one of Karen’s associates at that first meeting and there was several women who were leaning on Karen to sign the deal with ABC.
“So taken as a whole, is this text another effort to spur Dylan Howard into action?”
Davidson responded in the affirmative.
Davidson tells court how McDougal told National Enquirer editor about alleged Trump affair
Victoria Bekiempis
Keith Davidson just testified about a meeting with him, Karen McDougal and former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard.
The point of this meeting was for McDougal to tell her story – so that Howard could hear her account and apprise his bosses – in the event they wanted to do something with it.
Davidson said of the meeting:
Ms McDougal alleged that she had a romantic affair with Donald Trump some years prior.
“When you said romantic, does that include sexual?” Steinglass said.
“That’s what she expressed,” Davidson responded.
How long did it go on?
Davidson said:
I can’t recall specifically, it was several weeks to months, if not more, I can’t recall specifically.
Court hears about text messages between former National Enquirer editor and Davidson: 'Did he cheat on Melania'
Victoria Bekiempis
In later texts, former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard asked Keith Davidson, “Did he cheat on Melania?” and “Do you know if the affair was during his marriage to Melania?”
“And how did you respond to this text?” prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Davidson.
“I really cannot say yet, sorry,” Davidson said, reading his text to Howard aloud.
Steinglass asked whether it was because he didn’t know, or whether it was because he wasn’t in a position to tell Howard. Davidson said:
It’s because it was the latter – I was not prepared to discuss the details at this point.
“How did M. Howard respond?” Steinglass asked.
“OK, keep me informed,” Davidson replied.
Davidson testifies he reached out to former National Enquirer editor about 'blockbuster Trump story'
Victoria Bekiempis
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is now showing text exchanges that Keith Davidson sent to former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard about Karen McDougal.
“I have a blockbuster Trump story,” Davidson said in a 7 June 2016 message to Howard that was shown to jurors.
“What did you mean by that?” Steinglass asked.
Davidson said:
It was sort of an entree or teaser to Dylan to let him know that I had perhaps an opportunity for him.
“What was the opportunity about which you were contacting him?”
Davidson said:
It was regarding the interaction between Karen McDougal and Donald Trump.
“What did Mr Howard say, if anything, in response?”
Howard responded in a text shown to jurors, read by Davidson:
Talk 1st thing. I will get you more than ANYONE for it. You know why …
Victoria Bekiempis
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass then brought up a copy of the retainer agreement agreed between Keith Davidson and Karen McDougal.
Under scope of services, it said:
Client is hiring Attorney to represent Client in the matter of Client’s claims against Donald Trump and or assisting Client in negotiating a confidentiality agreement and/or life rights related to interactions with Donald Trump and/or negotiating assignment of exclusive press opportunities regarding same.
This was dated June 2016. Steinglass asked Davidson to put this in simple terms.
I was to provide legal services to Karen McDougal and provide advice and counsel to her surrounding a personal interaction she had, allegedly had, with Donald Trump.
Davidson tells court Karen McDougal was his client
Victoria Bekiempis
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked Keith Davidson: “Do you know somebody named Karen McDougal?”Davison said “I do."
“In what context?” Davidson said that “she was a client of mine” and that “I met her probably 25 years ago, she was dating a friend of mine.
Steinglass then asked: “And in the summer of 2016, did you represent her” and if so, in what capacity.
I represented her in order to provide advice and counsel about what her rights and obligations would be with a certain interaction she had.
“With whom?” Steinglass pressed. “Donald Trump.”
Victoria Bekiempis
Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is asking Keith Davidson about his relationships with various players in the case.
He testified about knowing former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard for years, and knowing former tabloid honcho David Pecker.
“Are you familiar with someone named Michael Cohen?” asked. Davidson said yes and that Cohen had been Trump’s lawyer.
“How did you come to meet Michael Cohen?” Steinglass asked.
Davidson said:
In approximately 2011, there was an article that was published in a blog that involved my client and Donald Trump, and I had the occasion to have a conversation with Michael Cohen related to that blog posting.
“Who was your client at the time that led you to interact with Michael Cohen on behalf of Donald Trump?”
Davidson replied:
Stefanie Clifford, otherwise known as Stormy Daniels.
Stormy Daniels' former lawyer Keith Davidson called to the stand
Keith Davidson is called to the witness stand next.
Davidson is Stormy Daniels’s and Playboy model Karen McDougal’s attorney. Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass is questioning him.
Steinglass asks: “During the period of 2015 through 2017, did you have a particular specialty?”
“At that time, my practice was heavily involved with media cases,” says Davidson.
As part of your work on media cases, did you frequently work on non-disclosure agreements?
“Yes.”
Victoria Bekiempis
The prosecution just played an excerpt of the deposition video in which E Jean Carroll’s lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, asked Donald Trump: “What is Truth Social?”
“It’s a platform that’s been opened by me as an alternative [to] Twitter,” Trump replied.
Asked if @Therealdonaldtrump was his handle, he said he thought so.
Prosecutor Rebecca Mangold then showed another excerpt from the video deposition.
“And your current wife is Melania Trump?” Kaplan asked Trump in the deposition. Trump answered in the affirmative.
“And you married her in 2005?” “Yes,” he said.
“And you’re still married to her now?” “Yes.”
Phillip Thompson is off the stand, as defense has no questions.
