'He scared all off': Bombshell texts reveal Trump threatened Stormy Daniels' publicist over selling story
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: In the ongoing legal battle surrounding former President Donald Trump's alleged hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels, court evidence has surfaced revealing threatening messages directed towards a celebrity publicist.
According to transcripts entered into evidence this week, Trump purportedly threatened to ruin the career of celebrity publicist Gina Rodriguez if she assisted Stormy Daniels in selling her story back in 2012.
The exchange, documented in instant messages between Rodriguez and National Enquirer editor Dylan Howard, sheds light on the lengths to which Trump allegedly went to suppress negative stories about him.
The exchanges took place at a time when interest in Trump's affairs was at its peak, with him being the leading contender for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination.
'Catch and kill' scheme
The court evidence indicates a pattern of behavior aimed at silencing potentially damaging information in what prosecutors allege was a "catch and kill" scheme orchestrated to protect Trump's political ambitions.
Rodriguez, whose name is redacted in the exhibit but referred to in court transcripts and documents, recounted the incident in April 2016, alleging that Trump personally called her office to threaten repercussions if she proceeded with selling Stormy Daniels' story.
"I also had Donald Trump call my office 4 years ago when Stormy Daniels was going to do the Trump mistress story," she texted Howard at the time. "He threatened that I would never do business again in entertainment."
Trump is currently facing 34 counts of falsifying business records related to hush money payments made to Daniels, although he vehemently denies any wrongdoing, dismissing the prosecution's efforts as a politically motivated witch hunt.
The documented exchanges, part of People's Exhibit 171A, outline the purported involvement of the National Enquirer's parent company, American Media Inc, in purchasing Daniels' story.
Rodriguez explained her decision not to go public in 2012, citing fears of legal repercussions from Trump. Despite Daniels allegedly being Trump's mistress, Rodriguez claimed they chose to "kill the story" to avoid potential lawsuits.
"So we killed the story because I thought he would sue me," she wrote. "But Stormy was his mistress."
"InTouch was going to do it before she passed a [redacted by court] but he scared all off and now Stormy won't do anything," she added.
Daniels' demands and alleged promises by Trump
Further messages exchanged between Rodriguez and Howard detail the terms desired by Daniels for revealing her story, including a substantial payment of $100,000. Rodriguez indicated that Daniels was unwilling to go on record but would disclose the details through a confidential source.
"She doesn't want to go on record about it but will tell the story through a source," the publicist wrote. "She will take [redacted by court]. She's had sex with him. She wants 100k."
The messages also allege promises made by Trump to Daniels, including a condo and a spot on his reality TV show, 'The Apprentice', which were allegedly never fulfilled.
"Once or ongoing relationship," Howard asked Rodriguez. "A couple times and he promised her a condo, a spot on Apprentice. She went to the Miss American pageant. He got her in," she replied.
The trial has provided a glimpse into the inner workings of tabloid media and Trump's purported efforts to suppress negative publicity. Evidence suggests a concerted effort to conceal damaging stories ahead of the 2016 election, which prosecutors argue amounts to potential election interference.
However, testimony from figures like David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, suggests that such practices were not uncommon at the time.
The trial is set to reconvene on Thursday, following Trump's return to the campaign trail on Wednesday, where he visited Wisconsin and Michigan, two crucial battleground states.
The former president's remarks during his campaign appearances will be closely watched, especially after Judge Juan Merchan issued a $9000 fine the day before for violating a gag order related to the case.
Judge Merchan cautioned Trump, saying he was ready to impose harsher penalties, including "an incarceratory punishment," for any future breaches of the order, the Daily Mail reported.
