National Enquirer publisher David Pecker was reportedly granted immunity to dish on Trump's porn star hush money
David Pecker, the chairman of National Enquirer publisher American Media Inc., has been given immunity by federal prosecutors who are seeking information about payments arranged by Michael Cohen to women who claimed they had affairs with President Trump, people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
Sources told the Journal earlier this week that Pecker was providing details to federal prosecutors, but he's apparently doing so with the promise of immunity, meaning prosecutors won't seek criminal charges against him if he admits wrongdoing. Pecker reportedly helped facilitate the payments that kept porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal from speaking publicly about the alleged relationships ahead of the election, and documents from Cohen's guilty plea show that the payments were made specifically in an effort to "assist" the campaign.
Pecker is a longtime friend of Trump's, who used to publish Trump Style, a quarterly magazine for guests at Trump properties. Now, he's reportedly an important part of the investigation into Cohen, who pleaded guilty to breaking campaign finance laws at the "direction" of Trump. Pecker told prosecutors that "one or more members" of the Trump campaign knew about the payments in advance and reportedly discussed Trump's "knowledge of the deals." Trump was recorded speaking to Cohen about whether to make the payments via cash or check. Read more at The Wall Street Journal.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
The vast horizons of the Puna de AtacamaThe Week Recommends The ‘dramatic and surreal’ landscape features volcanoes, fumaroles and salt flats
-
Asylum hotels: everything you need to knowThe Explainer Using hotels to house asylum seekers has proved extremely unpopular. Why, and what can the government do about it?
-
Crossword: November 16, 2025The daily crossword from The Week
-
Trump DOJ sues to block California redistrictingSpeed Read California’s new congressional map was drawn by Democrats to flip Republican-held House seats
-
GOP retreats from shutdown deal payout provisionSpeed Read Senators are distancing themselves from a controversial provision in the new government funding package
-
Catholic bishops rebuke Trump on immigrationSpeed Read ‘We feel compelled’ to ‘raise our voices in defense of God-given human dignity,’ the bishops said
-
House releases Epstein emails referencing TrumpSpeed Read The emails suggest Trump knew more about Epstein’s sex trafficking of underage women than he has claimed
-
Newsom slams Trump’s climate denial at COP30speed read Trump, who has called climate change a ‘hoax,’ declined to send any officials to this week’s summit
-
UK, Colombia halt intel to US over boat attacksSpeed Read Both countries have suspended intelligence sharing with the US over the bombing of civilian boats suspected of drug smuggling
-
Trump pardons 2020 fake electors, other GOP alliesSpeed Read The president pardoned Rudy Giuliani and more who tried to overturn his 2020 election loss
-
Supreme Court to decide on mail-in ballot limitsSpeed Read The court will determine whether states can count mail-in ballots received after Election Day
