Playboy model at center of Donald Trump hush money trial says she 'didn't want to be the next Monica Lewinsky'

A former Playboy model at the center of Donald Trump's sensational hush money trial said she did not want to be the 'next Monica Lewinsky'.

As Trump looked on from the defendant's table a court in Manhattan also heard evidence that he had called Karen McDougal, the model, a 'nice girl'.

Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments.

The alleged scheme involved the National Enquirer magazine which ran a 'catch and kill' operation ahead of the 2016 election, buying the rights to negative stories about Trump and then not publishing them.

That included the story of McDougal, who claimed to have had an affair with Trump between 2006 and 2007. He has denied an affair.

Former US President Donald Trump (C), sitting with attorneys Emil Bove (L) and Todd Blanche (R), attends his trial for allegedly covering up hush money payments linked to extramarital affairs, at Manhattan Criminal Court in New York City on April 25, 2024

Karen McDougal attends Playboy's Super Saturday Night Party at Sagamore Hotel on February 6, 2010 in Miami Beach, Florida.

Monica Lewinsky attends the Vanity Fair Oscars Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, on March 10, 2024

Giving evidence, David Pecker, the former boss of the National Enquirer, described how he had sent magazine executive Dylan Howard to California to interview McDougal in 2016 when her claims first emerged.

He said Michael Cohen, Trump's lawyer and 'fixer,' was 'constantly calling me while Dylan Howard was in this meeting interviewing Karen McDougal.'

Pecker later set up a three-way call with Howard and Cohen.

Howard said on the call that McDougal had refused an offer of $10,000 for her story.

Pecker said: 'Dylan mentioned ABC was interested in acquiring the story. He also mentioned a Mexican group made an offer for the story for $1 million.

'Michael and I both said they didn’t believe there was a Mexican group that was going to buy the story.

'ABC offer, they were offering Karen a slot on Dancing with the Stars.'

According to Pecker, Howard told them McDougal didn’t want her story to be published.

'She didn’t want to be the next Monica Lewinsky. She wanted to restart her career,' he said.

Lewinsky was a White House intern when she was at the center of a cheating scandal that rocked Bill Clinton's presidency in the 1990s.

Donald Trump with ex-Playboy model and actress Karen McDougal

A photograph showing former White House intern Monica Lewinsky meeting President Bill Clinton at a White House function submitted as evidence in documents by the Starr investigation and released by the House Judicary committee September 21, 1998

Karen McDougal, the former Playboy model who claims to have had an affair with Donald Trump

Pecker said McDougal was a fitness model and, rather than having her story published, wanted to launch an active clothing line and write for celebrity magazines.  

The publisher said he later had a conversation with Trump in June 2016 in New Jersey

'I was making a presentation and an update on our business,' he told the court. 'The assistant in the office came into the conference room and said there’s a call from you from Donald Trump. I left and took the call.

'Mr Trump said to me "I spoke to Michael. Karen is a nice girl. Is it true that a Mexican group is looking go buy the story for $8 million?"

' I said I absolutely don't believe. He said 'What do you think I should do?'. I said I think you should buy the story and take it off the market.

David Pecker, chair and CEO of American Media, speaks at the Shape and Men's Fitness Super Bowl Party in New York City, U.S., January 31, 2014

David Pecker is questioned during former U.S. President Donald Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016, in Manhattan state court in New York City, U.S. April 23, 2024 in this courtroom sketch

'I believe that when Mr Trump said she was a nice girl, I believe he knew who she was.'

Pecker went on: 'I believe this story was true. I think it would have been very embarrassing for himself and also to his campaign.'

The tabloid chief said Cohen called him the next day and told him to buy the story. Pecker asked who would pay for it.

He said Cohen told him: 'Don’t worry, I’m your friend, the boss will take care of it.'

Asked who the 'boss' was Pecker told the court: 'Donald Trump. I would be either reimbursed by the Trump Organization or Donald Trump.'

Adult-film actress Stephanie Clifford, also known as Stormy Daniels, in New York City, New York, U.S., April 16, 2018

Pecker was asked if Cohen could have approved the payment of money for the deal.

Pecker said: 'I know he (Cohen) didn’t have any authorization to disperse any funds from the Trump Organization. Every time he even went out for lunch, I paid.

'I didn’t think he had authorization to spend any monies without Mr Trump’s approval.'

As the deal progressed he and Cohen spoke at least daily, and Cohen became 'very agitated,' Pecker said.