Secret deals, six-figure payoffs, salacious stories -- the testimony of former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker in Donald Trump’s hush money trial this week has offered a rare window into the tabloid practice of checkbook journalism, where a publication pays its sources. A scheme to “catch and kill” unflattering stories about Trump lies at the heart of the prosecutors’ case, alleging Pecker arranged to pay sources for the rights to such stories to suppress them. Trump has been charged with 34 counts of fraud tied to his alleged role in payments made to porn star Stormy Daniels as part of a “catch and kill” agreement.