Former California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s past personal weaknesses resurfaced during former President Trump’s trial, following allegations he paid money on the sly to a porn star to to hide their sexual relationship.
Former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker testified Thursday that he was reluctant to pay a Playboy model who claimed to have an extramarital affair with Trump because of her experience with Schwarzenegger during his 2003 gubernatorial campaign.
“A number of women called” the tabloid with allegations of trysts with Schwarzenegger, Pecker said, adding that before the bodybuilder-turned-movie star ran for governor, he had struck a deal with Schwarzenegger that “I would call him and inform him of any situation.” stories that existed, and I ended up buying them for a while.
Pecker made the remarks while testifying about suppressing stories about Trump’s relationships with Playboy model Karen McDougal and adult film actor Stormy Daniels. The lawsuit centers on a $130,000 payment to Daniels to not disclose an alleged 2006 meeting with Trump, 77. He denied having relationships with both women.
“Catch and Kill”
The case centers on “catch and kill,” a strategy implemented by tabloids such as the Enquirer to obtain the rights to an article and then bury it.
Pecker testified that 30 to 40 women approached his company after Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy for governor in 2003 over alleged sexual relationships or harassment by the actor, and said he had spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars” to secure the rights to women’s stories.
The Times reported in 2005 that days after Schwarzenegger entered the race, the Enquirer’s publisher agreed to pay a woman $20,000 to sign a confidentiality agreement regarding an alleged affair with the action movie star and had signed a $1,000 contract with one of his friends.
Governor as magazine editor
Before the election, the Times reported that more than a dozen women had accused Schwarzenegger of groping them, and after he left office, the newspaper reported that he had fathered a child with a member of his staff house while married to Kennedy’s heir. and former journalist Maria Shriver.
A few months after Schwarzenegger was elected governor, Pecker announced that the former Mr. Universe would become editor-in-chief of Muscle & Fitness and FLEX magazines, roles for which the Times reported he would be paid millions of dollars.
Schwarzenegger ended the deal in 2005 after the Times and the Sacramento Bee reported on it, according to the Times report.
Representatives for the former governor did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
A caustic relationship
Thursday’s questioning by Trump lawyer Emil Bove prompted Pecker to describe his deal with Schwarzenegger and his misgivings about dealing with Trump because of how such deals comply with corporate finance laws. electoral campaigns.
The former president had a caustic relationship with Schwarzenegger, who replaced Trump as host of the reality TV competition “Celebrity Apprentice” and spoke out against his fellow Republican.
Since leaving office in 2011, Schwarzenegger has revived his career in Hollywood while focusing his political efforts on fighting climate change and gerrymandering. After the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol, he notably spoke about his personal experiences as a child in Austria after World War II.
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