Judge in hush money trial says Trump violated order nine times and warns that future violations could result in prison time.
The judge in Donald Trump’s New York hush money trial has convicted the former US president of contempt of court for repeatedly violating a gag order.
The order banned Trump from speaking publicly about people involved in the trial and from posting on social media.
Judge Juan Merchan said Tuesday that Trump violated the order nine times. He fined Trump $1,000 for each violation, for a total of $9,000.
Prosecutors had detailed 14 possible violations to the court, and Merchan could make further findings at a hearing on Thursday.
The judge also ordered Trump to remove seven “offensive posts” from his Truth Social account and two from a campaign website by Tuesday afternoon.
He added that Trump was “hereby warned that the court will not tolerate continued willful violations of his lawful orders and that it will, if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, impose a prison sentence.”
The decision came as Trump’s criminal trial entered its third week and testimony continued Tuesday.
The former president faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in connection with an alleged hush money payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels, who says she and Trump had a sexual encounter.
Many of the violations of the gag order involve Daniels as well as Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen. Both are expected to testify at the trial.
Trump is not only banned from attacking witnesses, but also jurors, court staff and their families.
The decision came at the start of the second week of testimony following days of testimony last week by former tabloid publisher David Pecker.
Pecker said he made an agreement with Trump to be the “eyes and ears” of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and coordinated with Cohen to suppress negative stories about Trump before the election.
The charges against Trump specifically relate to $130,000 he allegedly reimbursed Cohen after the lawyer paid Daniels for her silence.
Trump denies any connection with Daniels. His lawyers argued he acted within the law.
Falsifying business records is typically a moderate offense, but Trump could be convicted of felonies if prosecutors convince the jury that Trump falsified records in the service of another crime. They have argued that the crimes included illegal attempts to influence the 2016 election, in which he ultimately defeated Democratic nominee Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Trump is currently the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee for the November presidential election. The New York trial is the result of one of four criminal charges Trump is currently facing. The other three have yet to be brought to trial.
Regardless of the outcome, the trial is historic: Trump is the first current or former US president to be prosecuted.