New York Judge Fines Donald Trump $5,000 for Violating Gag Order in Fraud Trial
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been fined $5,000 by a New York judge for violating a partial gag order in his civil fraud trial. Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Arthur Engoron warned Trump that future violations would result in more severe sanctions, including possible imprisonment.
The fraud case, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges that Trump, his two adult sons, his company, and top executives fraudulently inflated the values of their assets to obtain tax benefits and favorable loan terms. Trump has denied any wrongdoing, but Engoron has already found him liable for fraud and ordered the dissolution of their New York business certificates. The trial aims to address six other claims by James, seeking $250 million in damages and the prohibition of the defendants from operating a business in New York.
Although the $5,000 fine is relatively small for Trump, it marks the first time he has faced punishment for violating court-ordered speech restrictions. Engoron’s decision came after discovering that Trump had not fully deleted a social media post that led to the imposition of the restrictions. The judge had previously issued a narrow gag order after Trump posted an attack on the judge’s law clerk on Truth Social, a platform developed by Trump. Despite the order to delete the post and refrain from making public statements about the judge’s staff, the post remained on Trump’s website for over two weeks.
Trump was not present in court to hear the judge’s reprimand, as he had left New York two days prior. Defense attorney Christopher Kise apologized on Trump’s behalf, claiming that the violation was unintentional. However, Engoron emphasized that Trump is still responsible for the content on his website, regardless of who posted it.
In his written order, Engoron emphasized the impact of the post on the clerk, regardless of intent. He also highlighted the potential dangers of spreading incendiary falsehoods in the current climate. While Engoron imposed the $5,000 fine for the first-time violation, he warned that future violations, intentional or unintentional, would face more severe sanctions, including higher financial penalties, contempt of court charges, and potential imprisonment.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer who is expected to testify against him, expressed doubts about Kise’s explanation. He stated that Trump knew exactly what he was doing and that any claims to the contrary were misguided, pointing to Trump’s intent to intimidate.
Engoron’s gag order is not the only restriction on Trump’s speech in legal matters. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., also imposed a partial gag order in a criminal case accusing Trump of conspiring to overturn his 2020 election loss to President Joe Biden. Trump’s attorneys are appealing that order, which prohibits him from publicly targeting the special counsel and potential witnesses.
Note: This article contains information from CNBC, and CNBC’s Dan Mangan contributed reporting.
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