Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker is returning to testify Thursday in Donald Trump’s New York criminal trial, his third day on the stand. CBS News will have live updates of the trial below.
Court reconvened at 9:30 a.m. The proceedings are overlapping with another significant legal development for the former president. In Washington, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments over whether Trump should be immune from federal prosecution in the case brought by special counsel Jack Smith. The judge overseeing the trial denied Trump’s request to attend the arguments in the capital.
In his testimony on Tuesday, the most recent day of the trial, Pecker described his efforts to use the National Enquirer to bury negative stories about Trump and attack his rivals during the 2016 presidential campaign. Pecker was the chief executive of the Enquirer’s parent company, a role he held until 2020.
His testimony is expected to continue through most if not all of the day Thursday. The trial is not being televised, since New York law doesn’t allow recording of criminal proceedings. CBS News has reporters in the courtroom and in a nearby overflow room watching the trial.