NEW YORK – The New York judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money trial fined the former president on Tuesday for defying a gag order and warned that further violations could see him thrown in jail.
Trump, 77, is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse his lawyer, Michael Cohen, for a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels just days ahead of the 2016 election, in which Trump ran against Hillary Clinton.
Keith Davidson, Daniels’ former lawyer, spent several hours on the witness stand on Tuesday testifying about the negotiations he held with Cohen to secure the X-rated movie star’s silence about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump.
Before Davidson’s testimony, Judge Juan Merchan held Trump in contempt of court for multiple violations of a gag order he imposed on the former president ahead of the trial prohibiting him from publicly attacking witnesses, jurors or court staff and their relatives.
He fined Trump $1,000 each for nine specific violations of the gag order, and instructed him to remove seven “offending posts” from his Truth Social account and two from a campaign website. The posts were removed Tuesday afternoon.
Lamenting that he could not impose a fine “more commensurate with the wealth of the contemnor,” the judge warned Trump, — the first former president to face criminal charges — that he could be jailed if he continues to violate the gag order.
“Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment,” Merchan said.
Prosecutors allege that Trump made the hush money payment to Daniels to silence her about a 2006 tryst at a celebrity golf tournament that could have potentially derailed his 2016 White House bid.
Trump denies having sex with Daniels and has used appearances outside the Manhattan courtroom to rail against the case, claiming it is a “witch hunt” by Democrats to torpedo his campaign to recapture the White House.
Speaking to reporters after court ended for the day Tuesday afternoon, Trump attacked the gag order as “totally unconstitutional” and said he should be out campaigning for his likely November rematch against President Joe Biden.