Getting fucked in court...

After AMI-McDougal deal was signed, Davidson said he would let ABC know she wanted to keep story quiet

From CNN's Kara Scannell, Lauren Del Valle, Jeremy Herb and Kaitlan Collins

Days after the contract was signed but before AMI wired McDougal the money, Davidson texted Howard -- I'm going to let ABC know that Karen has decided to keep her story quiet.

"I'm going to let them know that the family has begged and pleaded with her not to come out and that she has promised her family she wouldn't. I will have Karen ignore all of their calls. Any objection?

“I needed to sort of off-board ABC,” Davidson testified.

Davidson: "Stormy Daniels was a client of mine"

"Stormy Daniels was a client of mine," Keith Davidson says.

Donald Trump has his lips pursed and briefly glanced over at Davidson as he begins answering questions about how he knows Stormy Daniels.

Davidson says there are 2 explanations for why AMI would buy McDougal's story without running it

Davidson says there were two explanations for why AMI would buy McDougal's story without planning to run it.

The first was they were trying to build up her brand and that story would not help it. The second was more of an "unspoken understanding," Davidson said.

"I think one explanation that was given was that they were trying to build Karen into a brand and didn’t want to diminish her reputation. And second was more of an unspoken understanding that there was a close affiliation between David Pecker and Donald Trump and that AMI would not run this story or any story related to Karen and Donald Trump because it would tend to hurt Donald Trump."

Davidson says he received 45% of the $150,000 deal

Keith Davidson says he received 45% of the $150,000 deal.

Steinglass shows jury text messages were sent same day as effective date for AMI's contract with McDougal

Steinglass is showing the jury that the text messages were sent the same day as the effective date of AMI's contract with McDougal.

Davidson says Donald Trump was Cohen's client in the McDougal deal — even though he was not named

Prosecutors are now showing Keith Davidson's email to Michael Cohen on August 5, 2016, asking Cohen to call him.

"I called him to let him know as a professional courtesy that the deal involving his client closed," Davidson testified.

Prosecutor Joshua Steinglass asked him, who was Cohen's client. "Donald Trump," Davidson said.

Donald Trump was not a named party to the deal, Davidson said, but also added he recognized the benefit this deal with former Playboy model Karen McDougal would serve Trump.

Davidson testifies about his reluctance to call Cohen

AMI General Counsel Cameron Stracher suggested Davidson call Cohen.

Davidson texted Dylan Howard:

"he wants me to call Cohen. U think that’s ok? Ive been trying like hell to avoid that."

Davidson says that "even when we spoke," he and AMI's general counsel "still weren’t on the same page." He explains this was why Strachter told him to call Cohen.

Davidson testified "I thought it was odd" that he was told to call Cohen.

Davidson says he didn't want to talk to Cohen because of his last conversation with Cohen in 2011 around the blog post. He said it was "not pleasant or constructive. I didn’t particularly like dealing with him and that’s why I was trying like hell to avoid talking to him."

"Ok we are paying," Howard texted Davidson on August 8, 2016. "Glad it all sorted."

"F**ken Jesus," Howard texted.

Davidson testified, "I think it was just a frustrating deal for everybody involved." It was a lot of "heavy lifting."

"Yes, I believe so. I told Cohen this never would've happened without you," Davidson responded to Howard.

"He's hopeless. Oh well. Another one done!" Howard responded.

Davidson describes "growing frustration" around McDougal deal

Testifying about 2016 texts surrounding the discussion around the Karen McDougal deal, Keith Davidson described "growing frustration."

"On my side of the aisle there was growing frustration with process," Davidson testified.

"It was difficult to red-line something that didn’t even closely resemble" the deal points that had initially been reached, Davidson added.