In court this week, the ex-publisher of the National Enquirer reportedly confessed that under his direction, the publication deliberately fabricated a false narrative about the father of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) during the 2016 presidential campaign.
During his testimony at former President Donald Trump’s trial in Manhattan criminal court, David Pecker provided information regarding the origin of the narrative when questioned by prosecutors on Tuesday.
“We mashed the photos and the different picture with Lee Harvey Oswald. And mashed the two together. And that’s how that story was prepared — created I would say.” Pecker said.
In April 2016, the newspaper published a story in which it created a false photograph showing Cruz’s father, Rafael Cruz, alongside Lee Harvey Oswald, the killer of President John F. Kennedy.
The publication falsely claimed that the photo was taken three months before the November 1963 assassination.
Pecker alleged that longtime Trump confidant Michael Cohen would coordinate the dissemination of unfavorable articles in the publication to benefit Trump.
In 2018, Cohen entered a guilty plea in federal court for multiple offenses, including included campaign finance violations associated with the payment made to Daniels.
In addition, Cohen admitted to deceiving Congress on a purported Trump real estate transaction in Moscow.
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