Donald Trump was fined $10,000 for the second time in less than a week on Wednesday for making comments outside court, violating a gag order imposed by the judge trying him on civil fraud charges.
Before imposing this fine, Judge Arthur Engoron called Trump from the defense table to testify about a comment to reporters hours earlier in which the former president referred to “a very partisan person sitting next to” the judge.
On the 3rd, Engoron ordered all participants in the trial not to make public comments about his team, a restriction imposed after Trump published on social media what the judge interpreted as defamation of his key employee, who was at his side during the trial sit.
Trump and his lawyers insisted the former president’s comment today was about witness Michael Cohen, a former Trump lawyer, and not the staffer, but Engoron dismissed the arguments as “not credible” and noted that the staffer was too closer to the judge than Cohen. during the testimony.
“The idea that the statement referred to the witness does not make sense to me,” Engoron said.
Five days earlier, Trump had been fined $5,000 after Engoron discovered that the offensive social media post from early October had remained on Trump’s campaign website for weeks, despite being ordered to remove it from the Truth Social platform .
Meanwhile, in the courtroom hallway today, the Republican presidential candidate complained that Engoron, a Democrat, “is a very partisan judge, with a very partisan person next to him, perhaps even much more partisan than him.”
Then, under oath on the witness stand, Trump told the judge that the comment was directed at “you and Cohen,” without hiding his frustration: “I think it’s very biased against us.” I think we’ve made that very clear.” he said.
Three of Trump’s lawyers opposed the $10,000 fine, repeating Trump’s claim that the official is biased.
Shortly after being fined and moments after one of his lawyers questioned Cohen, Trump stood and left the courtroom, followed by his son Eric.
The episode highlighted questions about whether Trump can comply with court guidelines aimed at curbing his rhetoric as he campaigns to return to the White House.
Last week, another judge, this time in Washington, trying the former president in a 2020 election interference case, imposed a gag order that bars public statements about prosecutors, court staff and potential witnesses.
Judge Tanya Chutkan’s order was in response to concerns from prosecutors, who feared that Trump’s comments could inspire his supporters to threaten or harass prosecution witnesses during the trial.
However, Trump appealed this order, deeming it unconstitutional. Chutkan temporarily lifted the order last Friday, in light of a defense request for a pause in restrictions while Trump’s appeals are heard.
Taking advantage of the lifting of the restriction, Trump attacked Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith in an online post, calling him “crazy” and saying that those who enter into cooperative agreements with prosecutors are “weak and be a coward.
Source: DN
