History of David Pecker in Timeline

David Jay Pecker is an American publishing executive and businessman, known for his role as CEO of American Media until August 2020. His career was marked by leadership in the publishing industry, notably overseeing popular titles like Men's Fitness, Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Fit Pregnancy, Shape, and Star. His influence extended to publications like National Enquirer, Sun, Weekly World News, and Globe, solidifying his significant footprint in the media landscape.

September 24, 1951: Birth of David Pecker

David Jay Pecker was born on September 24, 1951 in the Bronx, New York City.

1967: Pecker's Father Passes Away

David Pecker's father, a bricklayer, died in 1967 when Pecker was 16 years old.

1969: Pecker Graduates High School

David Pecker graduated from New Rochelle High School in 1969.

1973: Pecker Graduates from Pace University

David Pecker graduated from Pace University in 1973.

1979: Pecker Joins CBS's Magazine Division

David Pecker began his career as an accountant and in 1979 joined the accounting department at CBS's magazine division.

1987: Pecker Marries Karen Balan

David Pecker married Karen Balan in 1987.

March 1998: Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S. Produces Trump Style

Beginning in March 1998, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., where David Pecker was CEO, began producing Trump Style magazine, distributed at Donald Trump's properties.

1999: Pecker Acquires American Media, Inc.

In 1999, David Pecker left Hachette and acquired American Media, Inc. (AMI), the publisher of the Star, the Globe, the National Enquirer, and the Weekly World News.

2000: Pecker Supports Trump's Presidential Run

David Pecker supported Donald Trump's initial run for president as part of the Reform Party in 2000.

August 2015: Pecker Offers to Suppress Negative Stories About Trump

In August 2015, David Pecker offered to use the National Enquirer to suppress negative stories about Donald Trump, including allegations of sexual affairs.

2015: AMI Pays Doorman for Trump Affair Story

In 2015, AMI paid $30,000 to Dino Sajudin, a doorman at Trump Tower, for the rights to his story about an alleged affair Trump had in the 1980s.

2015: Allegations Against Trump Surface

In 2015, allegations about Donald Trump's affairs with women began to surface, leading to a series of events involving David Pecker and AMI.

2015: Pecker Reveals "Catch and Kill" Scheme Details

On his second day of testimony in 2024, David Pecker detailed how he offered to suppress negative stories about Trump in 2015 using a "catch and kill" scheme. He specifically mentioned the cases of Dino Sajudin and Karen McDougal, revealing the payments made to silence their allegations about Trump.

October 2016: Pecker Joins Postmedia Network Canada Corp.

David Pecker became a director of Postmedia Network Canada Corp. in October 2016.

2016: Catch and Kill Payments Used to Suppress Negative Stories about Trump

David Pecker and AMI used catch and kill payments to purchase exclusive rights to stories that could have been damaging to Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and then refused to publish them.

2016: AMI Purchases Rights to McDougal's Story

David Pecker directed AMI to purchase the exclusive rights to Karen McDougal's story for $150,000 in 2016, allegedly to keep it from the public.

2016: Trump's Presidential Campaign and Pecker's Involvement

During the 2016 Presidential campaign, David Pecker's company, American Media Inc., was involved in suppressing negative stories about Donald Trump.

2016: American Media Inc. Relies on Chatham Asset Management

In 2016, David Pecker revealed that American Media Inc. was reliant on support from Chatham Asset Management due to financial troubles.

2016: Cohen Records Conversation with Trump about Payment to McDougal

In 2016, Michael Cohen secretly recorded a conversation with Donald Trump, during which they discussed the payment made to Karen McDougal.

2016: Pecker Testifies about Payment to Karen McDougal

On April 25, 2024, David Pecker testified that he spoke directly to Trump in 2016 about paying Karen McDougal $150,000 to suppress her story. He revealed the use of shell companies for the payment and acknowledged the illegality of coordinating with a political campaign for such a payment to influence an election.

2017: Allegations Against Trump Continue

Allegations surrounding Donald Trump's affairs with women persisted into 2017, marking a period of significant controversy and legal scrutiny.

March 2018: Karen McDougal Sues American Media

In March 2018, Karen McDougal filed a lawsuit against American Media to invalidate a non-disclosure agreement that prevented her from speaking about an alleged affair with Donald Trump.

April 2018: AMI Denies Catch and Kill Operation

In April 2018, AMI chief content officer Dylan Howard denied that the story of Trump's alleged affair in the 1980s was "spiked" in a catch and kill operation. He insisted that AMI did not run the story because the source, Dino Sajudin, lacked credibility.

April 2018: Pecker Subpoenaed by Federal Investigators

In April 2018, David Pecker and AMI were subpoenaed by federal investigators regarding hush payments arranged by Michael Cohen.

April 2018: McDougal's Lawsuit Settled

In April 2018, Karen McDougal's lawsuit was settled, releasing her from the non-disclosure agreement. AMI agreed to feature her in Men's Journal in September 2018.

April 2018: FBI Searches Michael Cohen's Office and Residences

In April 2018, the FBI searched Michael Cohen's office and residences for evidence of Trump's involvement in the payment to McDougal.

July 2018: Tape of Cohen and Trump Conversation Released

A tape of a conversation between Michael Cohen and then-candidate Donald Trump from 2016, confirming the payment to McDougal, became public in July 2018.

August 2018: AMI Releases Sajudin from Contract

In August 2018, AMI released Dino Sajudin from the contract they had signed in 2015, which gave them the rights to his story alleging Trump's affair. CNN obtained a copy of the contract and published excerpts.

August 2018: Pecker Granted Immunity for Testimony

In August 2018, David Pecker was granted witness immunity in exchange for his testimony about Trump's knowledge of the hush payments.

August 2018: Pecker Resigns from Postmedia Network Canada Corp.

In August 2018, amidst heavy reporting of his interactions with President Donald Trump, David Pecker resigned as a director of Postmedia Network Canada Corp.

September 2018: McDougal Featured in Men's Journal

Karen McDougal was featured on the cover of Men's Journal in September 2018 as part of her settlement with AMI.

2018: Pecker and AMI Investigated for Catch and Kill Payments

By 2018, David Pecker and AMI were under investigation for using catch and kill payments to suppress negative stories about Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential campaign, potentially violating Federal Election Commission rules.

2018: Pecker Embroiled in Catch and Kill Controversy

In 2018, David Pecker became embroiled in controversy regarding his involvement in a catch and kill operation to suppress negative stories about Donald Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign.

2018: AMI and Manhattan Prosecutor Review Accusations

In 2018, both AMI and the Manhattan prosecutor launched reviews of accusations against AMI, which could constitute a breach of the immunity agreement the company reached with prosecutors in 2018 after agreeing to "catch and kill" a story on behalf of then-candidate Donald Trump.

January 2019: National Enquirer Publishes Bezos' Private Messages

In January 2019, Pecker's National Enquirer published private text messages and love notes between Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez. Bezos accused the publication of extortion and blackmail for threatening to release intimate photos unless he publicly stated that AMI's coverage was not politically motivated.

February 27, 2019: Cohen Testifies About Catch-and-Kill Scheme

On February 27, 2019, Michael Cohen testified under oath to the House Oversight Committee that he and David Pecker conspired to "catch-and-kill" stories potentially damaging to Trump.

April 10, 2019: National Enquirer Sale

David Pecker agreed to sell the National Enquirer on April 10, 2019, driven by Anthony Melchiorre, whose company, Chatham Asset Management, owned 80% of American Media Inc.'s stock.

2019: Pecker Sells National Enquirer, Globe and National Examiner

In 2019, David Pecker announced the sale of the National Enquirer, Globe and National Examiner to Hudson News.

August 2020: Pecker Steps Down as CEO of American Media

David Pecker stepped down as CEO of American Media in August 2020, but remained as executive advisor. The company was renamed a360 Media.

August 2020: American Media Inc. becomes a360 Media

In August 2020, AMI removed Pecker as CEO, making him executive advisor. The company was renamed a360Media in anticipation of a merger with another Chatham property, the logistics firm Accelerate 360.

April 2024: Pecker Acknowledges Editorial Philosophy

In April 2024, Pecker acknowledged that checkbook journalism was a part of his editorial philosophy, and that he also believed that “The only thing that is important is the cover of a magazine.”

April 22, 2024: Pecker Testifies in Trump Criminal Trial

On April 22, 2024, David Pecker was the first witness to testify in Trump's New York criminal trial regarding the Stormy Daniels allegations. He discussed AMI's "checkbook journalism" practices, his spending limits for stories, and his control over celebrity stories.

April 23, 2024: Pecker Admits to Publishing False Stories

On April 23, 2024, David Pecker testified that he and others at the National Enquirer created false stories about Trump's political opponents during the 2016 Presidential campaign.