The judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's criminal trial in New York held him in contempt of court on Tuesday for violating a gag order that limits what he can say about those involved in the case.
Judge Juan Merchan said Trump violated the order nine times in recent weeks. He fined Trump $9,000, or $1,000 for each violation.
Merchan issued the original gag order in March, before the trial got underway. It barred Trump from commenting on likely witnesses, potential jurors, court staff, lawyers for the prosecution and others connected to the case. The judge later expanded that order to cover his own family members after Trump attacked his daughter over her consulting work with Democratic candidates and progressive causes.
The gag order does not prevent Trump from criticizing Merchan or Alvin Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney.
Prosecutors from Bragg's office filed a motion urging the judge to find Trump in contempt over 10 posts targeting Michael Cohen, Stormy Daniels and others. They laid out four other instances in which they said Trump violated the order when court convened last Thursday. Those four alleged violations are the subject of a hearing set to be held this week.
Legal Battle Continues for Trump
During a recent hearing, it was revealed that Chris Conroy, a member of Bragg's legal team, accused Trump of willfully and flagrantly violating a court order. Conroy emphasized that Trump's attacks spare no one and are used to intimidate individuals for his own benefit. The prosecution urged the judge to impose a $1,000 fine for each post and require Trump to remove them.
On the other side, Todd Blanche, Trump's attorney, defended his client's actions by stating that Trump was merely responding to political criticisms in his posts and did not believe he was breaching any order by reposting or quoting others. However, when pressed to specify the attacks Trump was responding to, Blanche struggled to provide a clear answer, leading the judge, Merchan, to question his credibility.
New Charges Against Trump
Trump is facing 34 charges of falsifying business records in connection to payments made to Stormy Daniels, an adult film actress who alleged a sexual encounter with Trump. Despite Trump's denial of the allegations, he has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Trump has also expressed his objections to the gag order in the case, arguing that it infringes on his constitutional rights.
