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The text messages that tell the inside story of how the National Enquirer bought and killed Playboy model Karen McDougal's tale: 'I have a blockbuster Trump story'
It starts with a one-line instant message from a lawyer to an editor: 'I have a blockbuster Trump story.'
What follows is a blow-by-blow account of how a Playboy model sold her tale to the National Enquirer, casting a spotlight not just on chequebook journalism and supermarket tabloids but the case against Donald Trump as it unfolds in a cold, gloomy New York courtroom.
The details are laid out in a document presented at Trump's hush money trial last week, entitled People's Exhibit 176A.
It merited only a fleeting mention as 'tabloid king' David Pecker, the then publisher of the National Enquirer, explained how he agreed to help the Trump campaign in 2015 by buying up negative stories about the then candidate.
It was back before the jury on Tuesday when Karen McDougal's Hollywood lawyer appeared as a witness, describing how he negotiated a payday with National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard.
On Tuesday, Donald Trump's 'hush money' trial heard about how Karen McDougal's lawyer negotiated with the National Enquirer editor to buy her story of an alleged affair
People's exhibit 176A lists hundreds of messages between lawyer to the stars Keith Davidson and Dylan Howard, who ran the National Enquirer and served as head of content for tabloid king David Tucker's American Media Inc
It is a list of more than 500 messages exchanged between the two, arranged in a spreadsheet.
At first they show Keith Davidson demanding $1 million for his client's explosive kiss-and-tell story.
He is gradually talked down, amid jokes that he could get an ambassadorship in a Trump administration, and promises that his client will feature on magazine covers.
The talks take on fresh urgency as Trump clinches the Republican nomination and as other media organisations get a sniff of the story.
And the messages reveal moments of drama, as one side or the other ups the pressure, along with an episode of farce, when a conference call almost breaks down because they have swapped the wrong telephone number.
It all begins when McDougal, who has since described meeting Trump at a Playboy Mansion pool party in 2006, gets in touch with Davidson on the advice of a friend who worked in the adult movie industry.
Davidson messaged Howard on June 7, 2016, with the offer of a blockbuster.
'Talk first thing,' the Australian-born National Enquirer editor replied. 'I will get you more than anyone for it. You know why...'
The messages reveal that they spent the next days talking by telephone, before Howard suddenly sees even more potential in the story.
Lawyer Keith Davidson, who represented former Playboy model Karen McDougal, was in court on Tuesday to answer questions about his correspondence with former National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard, who asked him whether Trump cheated on his wife Melania
Davidson (left) and Howard swapped hundreds of messages as they negotiated
'Did he cheat on Melania?' he asks, before repeating the question two days later.
'I really can't say yet. Sorry,' is the response from Davidson.
Howard flies to meet the Los Angeles-based lawyer telling him in advance to advise McDougal that she will get a deal.
This is all part of a scheme that is at the center of the prosecution case against Trump. The Manhattan District Attorney's Office alleges that he worked with the National Enquirer and its parent company American Media Inc (AMI) to pay off women in exchange for their silence, before doctoring business records to hide the payments.
Trump denies the charges.
On Tuesday, he sat in court listening to some of text messages about an alleged affair being read aloud and shook his head slowly.
Back in the summer of 2016, a day after the meeting, Davidson has news that might sweeten the pending deal.
'My client has located her Blackberry,' he messages Howard.
'Well this is interesting,' replies the editor. 'What's on it?'
He must have been hoping for incriminating messages or evidence of an affair. For any tabloid editor, pictures are crucial to drawing in readers.
The spreadsheet of exchanges indicates that Davidson forwards an image file to Howard ... whose disappointment is clear.
After the Blackberry is recovered, Davidson forwards an image but Howard is unimpressed. pointing out that McDougal had already shared it on her Twitter account
The trial is in its third week now in courtroom 1530 of Manhattan criminal court
'She posted that on Twitter,' he replies. Instead of an exclusive picture corroborating her story, it is a photo of her in a strapless black dress alongside a grinning Trump in a dark suit and silver tie that she published to the world in September 2015 before deleting.
The letdown means slow progress. And Davidson complains that National Enquirer and parent company American Media may be asking for too much documentary proof.
'It's a story that should be told,' presses Davidson.
'I agree,' says Howard.
Things only take on an added urgency when Trump officially becomes the Republican nominee at the party's convention in Cleveland on July 19.
'Get me a price on McDougal,' says Howard four days later. 'All in. Consulting gig perhaps as a fitness expert thrown into mix.'
Davidson has their answer ready in less than an hour: 'How about 1m now. And 75k for next 2 years as a fitness correspondent for AMI and ur related pubs?'
Howard soft-pedaled the negotiations at first, but moved in for a deal once Trump had officially been nominated by the Republican National Convention in Cleveland
Davidson throws in some details that ABC is circling in order to keep up the pressure, and eventually they get to a price that both sides can agree on
It takes one minute for Howard to respond, tapping the brakes as he does so. 'I'll take that to them but thinking it's more hundreds than millions.'
Davidson barely breaks stride. '800 now and 100 per year for two years for a total of 1m,' he replies seven minutes later.
Howard has an encouraging message five days later. 'We are going to lay it on thick for her,' he messages.
'Good. Throw in an ambassadorship for me,' jokes Davidson. 'I'm thinking Isle of Mann [sic].'
Howard sends an 'LOL' before aping Trump's famous slogan: 'I'm going to make Australia great again.'
In the next few days they arrange a conference call, but the back and forth shows that they cannot quite connect, until they realize they have muddled up the number.
The deal starts to come together and on August 2, Davidson they have settled on a number: '[T]He deal is accepted at 150k. Can you do that?'
Howard says he will ask but a day later Davidson is getting antsy. The deal isn't finalized so he drops in word that other journalists are circling to up the ante.
'Let's try and wrap up Karen's deal,' he says. 'She is getting repeated phone calls from Rhonda Schwartz.'
Davidson makes clear that any deal will include covers for his client on some of AMI's stable of supermarket magazines. On August 5, the deal is finalized
Pecker testified that he had been friends with Trump for decades, and had helped stamp out negative stories during the 2016 election after a key meeting at Trump Tower
Trump watches as prosecutor Joshua Steinglass questions David Pecker during Trump's criminal trial on charges that he falsified business records to conceal money paid to silence porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016
ABC News was closing in, with Schwartz and veteran investigative reporter Brian Ross chasing McDougal for an interview.
Howard tries to reassure Davidson that the final mechanics of the deal are being sorted out. Two days later it is sent.
Davidson doesn't like it.
'Cameron's agreement wasn't even really close to what we were expecting,' referring to AMI's counsel Cameron Stracher. 'Please review the red line I just sent. Need to handle this quickly.'
According to the messages Stracher and Davidson then talk by phone.
'He wants me to call Cohen. U think that's OK? I've been trying like hell to avoid that, says Davidson. He adds that he needs guarantees that his client will be the cover star of one of AMI's big magazine.
'Also did u see one cover of either Us or Star is in my redline. And a ghost writer. Call [sic] with that?'
'Cool with that,' says Howard.
Trump has denied all 35 felony counts of falsifying business records and has repeatedly said the trial amounts to 'election interference' in an effort to prevent him winning the election
Eric Trump arrived with his father on Tuesday morning as the trial entered its third week
Five hours later, he says the deal is signed off. 'OK we are paying,' he says, before agreeing to all McDougal's requests that she gets to pick hair and make-up artists for shoots.
'Seriously,' he says. 'She will be looked after in the most emphatic fashion.'
The deal is agreed on August 5, giving AMI the 'limited life story rights' of McDougal - for the exclusive control of information about 'any romantic, personal and/or physical relationship McDougal has ever had with any then-married man.'
In return, the agreement shows that McDougal shall be paid $150,000 plus a monthly column on fitness for Star magazine, one for OK magazine as well as cover stories on Men's Fitness and Muscle and Fitness Hers.
Three days later, Davidson says he is turning down other offers for her story.
'I am going to let ABC know that Karen has decided to keep her story quiet,' he messages. 'I'm going to let them know that the family has begged and pleaded and that she has promised her family she wouldn't.
'I will have Karen ignore all of their calls.'
Her story was never published by the National Enquirer, part of an alleged agreement between its publisher Pecker and Trump.
Giving evidence Tuesday, Davidson was asked by prosecutor Joshua Steinglass whether his client was happy with not actually having to tell her story.
'That was one of her stated goals,' he answered.