- Trump was found in contempt Thursday for nine violations of his silence order during the trial.
- Trump was fined $9,000, the maximum allowed by law; no mention was made of a prison sentence.
- The contempt order came in response to Trump’s online attacks on witnesses and jurors.
Donald Trump is in contempt of court and must pay a $9,000 fine for repeatedly violating his silence order, the judge presiding over the secret Manhattan trial ruled Thursday.
Trump violated his gag order by questioning the impartiality of his jury and attacking trial witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels as liars and “sleazebags” on Truth Social and on his campaign website, the court found. judge.
Trump still faces a possible additional contempt conviction — as well as additional fines and, although less likely, a short prison stay — for four additional alleged violations from last week. A hearing on these four most recent alleged violations is scheduled for Thursday.
In these latest violations, Trump again disparaged jurors, Cohen, and another key prosecution witness — former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker — in on-camera statements Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Prosecutors alleged a total of 14 gag violations, all dating from April. The $9,000 fine imposed Tuesday represents $1,000 for nine offenses, the maximum for contempt set by New York law, which also sets a maximum sentence of 30 days in jail for each offense.
Merchan found Trump guilty of contempt outside the jury hearing Tuesday, before the start of direct testimony from the trial’s third witness, Gary Farro, Michael Cohen’s former banker.
The judge did not reprimand or warn Trump in any way in issuing his contempt ruling, saying only that “the court believes the people have met their burden” of proving contempt.
Prosecutor Christopher Conroy had qualified Trump’s threat for the trial, which is now in its second week.
Other witnesses, beyond Cohen and Daniels, see these messages and are also intimidated, the prosecutor said last week, calling it “a kind of backlash effect.”
“The accused has his day in court,” Conroy argued. “Unfortunately,” the prosecutor added, “he is doing everything he can to undermine this process.”
Defense attorney Todd Blanche countered in court Tuesday that Trump had “tried to comply” with the silence order.
The order, issued April 1, prohibits Trump from making statements about jurors, witnesses and certain trial personnel and their family members if those statements could influence the trial.
“President Trump is very cautious,” Blanche added Tuesday in her arguments.
That’s when Merchan attacked Blanche.
“You lose all credibility with the court,” Merchan told the lawyer, his voice frustrated.
This is a revolutionary story; please check back for developments.
businessinsider
