A New York judge ruled on Tuesday that former President Trump violated a gag order, showing contempt for the court, and imposed fines on him, warning that he could face imprisonment if he continues to violate the gag order.
The presiding judge of the “Hush Money Case” in New York, Justice Juan Merchan, imposed a $9,000 fine on Trump, accusing him of contempt of court. Trump has violated the order prohibiting him from publicly discussing jurors, witnesses, and lawyers or their family members on nine occasions, with a $1,000 fine for each violation. The judge also warned in the ruling that if Trump continues to “intentionally violate” the gag order, he may face “imprisonment penalties” in “necessary and appropriate” circumstances.
Justice Merchan stated on Tuesday that Trump must delete seven relevant posts from his social media platform “Truth Social” by 2:15 p.m. and two additional unauthorized posts from his campaign website.
Regarding Trump’s complaints about out-of-court remarks about expected prosecution witnesses Michael Cohen and Stormy Daniels, the judge also mentioned that if deemed necessary in the future, he may consider modifying the gag order to exclude these individuals from its protection.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and his office have accused Trump of violating the gag order at least ten times as of last week, with one post where Trump referred to his former lawyer Cohen and adult film actress Daniels as “shameless individuals”.
However, Trump’s lawyers argued that the gag order violates the former president’s First Amendment rights, namely the freedom of speech protected by the U.S. Constitution, and stated that Trump did not intentionally violate the order but was responding to “repeated political attacks”.
The “Hush Money Case,” formally known as “People of the State of New York v. Trump,” is linked to Trump’s alleged payment of hush money to Stormy Daniels during the 2016 presidential campaign, and the concealment of an extramarital affair, hence its nickname “Hush Money Case.” Bragg has brought 34 serious charges against Trump in this case, including first-degree falsifying business records. In late March 2023, a grand jury in New York found Trump guilty and filed criminal charges. Trump has pleaded not guilty to these charges.
It is a significant development in the ongoing legal challenges faced by the former president, intertwining with his political career as the legal battle continues in the courts.