Hush money trial: David Pecker makes shocking revelations about Donald Trump

A key witness in former United States president Donald Trump’s hush money trial has made some shocking revelations about the former president making it difficult for him to come out of this case unscathed, NDTV reported.

David Pecker, the former National Enquirer publisher and chief executive of American Media Inc (AMI), detailed on Thursday how he worked with Trump’s lawyer to cover an affair story of the former president with Playboy model, Karen McDougal with money, just before the 2016 presidential elections.

He said: "I wanted to protect my company, I wanted to protect myself and I wanted also to protect Donald Trump."

Referring to Trump, as "the boss", Pecker said that Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen encouraged him to purchase Mc Dougal’s sexual relationship publication by paying her $150,000 to "catch and kill" the story.

The payments were disguised under services to American Media, to avoid violation of campaign finance laws.

He told the court: "We purchased the story so it would not be published by any other organization."

Later, he was asked to pay adult star Stormy Daniels as well, however, he refused so Cohen paid instead.

Trump, 77, is the first former US president in history who is undergoing a criminal trial.