Why it matters: Prosecutors accuse the influential media personality of conspiring to influence the 2016 presidential election.
Pecker's background
Pecker, a longtime friend of Trump, was CEO of the National Enquirer, the parent company of American Media Inc, now A360 Media, from 1999 to 2020.
Involvement in the Trump affair
Prosecutors alleged in the indictment against the former president that Baker met with Trump in 2015 and agreed to support his campaign and spread negative stories about his rivals.
Baker allegedly helped orchestrate "catch and kill" deals in which he would buy exclusive rights to negative stories about Trump and then block them from publishing them during the 2016 presidential campaign. This includes deals with two women who claimed to have had past relations with Trump. .
Baker was granted immunity from prosecution by the Justice Department in 2018 for providing information to federal prosecutors about hush money payments.
The media giant was among dozens of investigations by the House Judiciary Committee in 2019 as part of a broad investigation into Trump and his inner circle.
Testimony in the hush money trial
Assistant Prosecutor Matthew Colangelo, who gave opening statements for the prosecution Monday, said Baker served as "eyes and ears" for the Trump campaign during the 2016 election, Erin Doherty reported 'Axios.
Colangelo used the phrase several times to describe how Pecker used his media empire, America Media, to help the Trump campaign.
Baker testified Tuesday that he was asked in 2015 how he could help Trump and his magazines. Ultimately, they reached a “mutually beneficial” agreement that helped boost ad sales at Enquirer.
He said: “I said I would post positive articles about Trump and I would post negative articles about his opponent. » “I said I would also be your eyes and ears because I know the Trump Organization is seriously understaffed. »
Prosecutors say Baker helped carry out a “catch and kill” plan to bury bad news about Trump.