(New York, May 7, 2024) – The judge presiding over the “Hush Money” case in New York ruled on Monday (6th) that Donald Trump was fined $1,000 for his tenth violation of the gag order and issued a warning that any further violations could result in imprisonment. In response, Trump expressed his willingness to make “sacrifices” in defense of freedom of speech.
After the trial on Monday, Trump told reporters waiting outside the courtroom, “The judge issued a gag order against me, saying that if you violate this gag order, you will go to jail… to be honest, our Constitution is much more important than prison. I am always willing to make such sacrifices.”
He also claimed that the “Hush Money” case itself was baseless, stating, “They have no evidence. Every legal scholar says they have no evidence. This is just political persecution. This is election interference, real election interference. It is a disgrace.”
The judge presiding over the case, Juan Merchan, had warned Trump earlier in the day during the court session, stating, “In the future, the court will have to consider imposing imprisonment on you.” He expressed reluctance to send Trump to jail but noted that if necessary, he would do so, adding, “You are a former President of the United States, and may potentially be the next President.”
Merchan had issued the gag order against Trump on March 26, prohibiting him from publicly commenting on witnesses, prosecutors, court personnel, or jurors involved in the “Hush Money” case.
On April 30, Merchan ruled that Trump had violated the gag order at least nine times, “contempt of court,” totaling in fines of $9,000. He warned that if Trump continued to violate the gag order, imprisonment would be considered.
Merchan expressed disappointment in the lack of effectiveness of the fines imposed for violating the gag order, stating in a recent order, “Unfortunately, the fines have not had the desired effect as the defendant can easily afford them.”
He emphasized that Trump would face dire consequences if he continued to violate the gag order.
The trial for the “Hush Money” criminal case began on April 15 in Manhattan, New York, making Trump the first former President in American history to stand trial on criminal charges. Trump is accused in this case of 34 counts of falsifying business records, all related to hush money payments of $130,000 made by his then-lawyer Michael Cohen to an adult film actress before the 2016 election. Prosecutors allege that Trump reimbursed these payments and fraudulently recorded them as legal fees.
In addition to the “Hush Money” case, Trump is facing three other criminal cases: a classified documents case, a case related to the January 6th Capitol riot, and a case involving the Georgia election, totaling 91 criminal charges.
Trump has pleaded not guilty to all charges, claiming that the indictments are part of a Democratic Party “political persecution” aimed at preventing his return to the White House.