Judges Finds Trump in Contempt of Court for Violating Gag Order
Former President Donald Trump will have to put his money where his mouth is after he was found in contempt of court for violating a gag order. Judge Juan Merchan ruled on Tuesday that Trump violated a gag order put in…
Former President Donald Trump will have to put his money where his mouth is after he was found in contempt of court for violating a gag order.
Judge Juan Merchan ruled on Tuesday that Trump violated a gag order put in place to stop him from attacking jurors and witnesses involved in the hush money trial currently underway in New York City, per NBC News.
Merchan found Trump was in contempt nine times and fined Trump $1,000 for each violation when he posted on Truth Social.
The judge added that if there were more violations, he would enforce “an incarceratory punishment” if warranted.
The gag order forbids Trump from “making or directing others to make public statements about known or reasonably foreseeable witnesses concerning their potential participation in the investigation or in this criminal proceeding,” and “public statements about any prospective juror or any juror,” per the outlet.
A hearing on the matter was held on April 23 at which time Merchan told one of Trump’s attorneys that he was “losing all credibility.”
That statement came after the attorney said Trump was trying to comply with the gag order.
The prosecution alleged Trump had violated the order, which went into effect April 1, at least 10 times.
In one post he called Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, who are expected to be called as witnesses, “sleaze bags.”
The prosecution asked that Trump be fined a maximum of $1,000 for each post deemed a violation of the order. They also wanted Trump to remove the posts, which the judge ordered. The DA also requested that Merchan warn Trump that additional fines and jail time was possible if there were more violations.
Prosecutor Chris Conroy said in the hearing that Trump “seems to be angling” to be sent to jail for political purposes.
Trump’s lawyers said he was responding to a “barrage of political attacks.”
However, Todd Blanche, one of Trump’s attorneys, could not specify any attack.
“I keep asking you over and over to give me an example and I’m not getting an answer,” Merchan said.
Trump pleaded not guilty to 34 counts of falsifying business records tied ti him reimbursing Cohen for hush money Cohen made to Daniels near the end of the 2016 campaign.
Trump could spend a maximum of four years in prison if convicted.