Justice Juan Merchan of New York has fined former U.S. President Donald Trump $9,000 for contempt of court and warned of potential jail time if he continues to violate the gag order. The ruling comes after prosecutors accused Trump of violating the judge's restrictions on commenting about witnesses and jurors in nine online statements.
Merchan's written order, issued on Tuesday, expressed concern that the fine may not be sufficient to deter the wealthy businessman-turned-politician from further violations. "Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment," the judge wrote.
The $9,000 fine, which falls just short of the $10,000 penalty requested by prosecutors, is based on nine online statements that Merchan deemed to be in violation of the gag order. These statements, posted on Trump's Truth Social account and campaign website, insulted potential witnesses and questioned the impartiality of the jury. The judge has ordered Trump to remove the offending posts by 2:15 p.m. EDT (1815 GMT) on Tuesday.
Trump's lawyer, Todd Blanche, argued last week that the statements in question were responses to political attacks and that the gag order infringes upon the former president's free speech rights. However, Merchan noted that Blanche was unable to provide evidence that the expected witnesses had attacked Trump prior to his insulting remarks.
While the $9,000 fine, due by Friday, may seem relatively small for Trump, who has already posted $266.6 million in bonds for appeals in other civil cases, the threat of imprisonment adds a new dimension to the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. It remains unclear whether Trump would be sent to New York City's Rikers Island jail or if security concerns would necessitate more lenient treatment, such as home confinement in his Trump Tower triplex.
As the trial resumed on Tuesday, banker Garry Farro testified about the accounts involved in Trump's alleged scheme to influence the 2016 election by covering up a sex scandal. The Republican candidate, who is seeking re-election in 2024, is charged with falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged sexual encounter in 2006. Trump has pleaded not guilty and denied having sex with Daniels.
Outside the courthouse, a small group of roughly two dozen Trump supporters rallied, chanting his name and waving banners in support of his 2024 presidential bid. The demonstration was in response to Trump's complaint about the lack of protesters at the trial.
The criminal case against Trump is one of four pending cases, but it could be the only one to result in a verdict before the November 5 election, where he faces a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden.
