During the trial, Joshua Steinglass pointed out that the defense's claim of extortion lacks credibility due to the nature of the negotiations that took place. The discussions primarily involved Dylan Howard, the editor of the National Enquirer, and Gina Rodriguez, who was representing Stormy Daniels. These talks centered around the potential purchase of Daniels' story by American Media Inc. (AMI), with no direct involvement from Michael Cohen or Donald Trump.
It is emphasized that AMI played a significant role in these negotiations, with the prosecution highlighting that AMI was essentially acting as the eyes and ears of the Trump campaign. This assertion is supported by previous statements made by David Pecker, the CEO of AMI, to Trump regarding the media company's willingness to support his campaign.
