Former U.S. President Donald Trump was fined $9,000 for contempt of court by Judge Juan Merchan on Tuesday, with a warning of potential imprisonment if he continued violating a gag order in his hush money trial.
Merchan’s written order emphasized the seriousness of Trump’s defiance, cautioning that further willful violations would result in incarceration.
The judge had imposed the gag order to prevent Trump from disparaging witnesses and other trial participants.
Trump was fined $1,000 for each of nine online statements deemed to have contravened the order, including criticisms of his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, who was expected to be a key witness. Despite Trump’s claims that reposts absolved him of responsibility, Merchan rejected this argument.
The ex-president’s attorney argued that Trump’s statements were responses to political attacks, but Merchan found no evidence to support this claim.
Trump was instructed to remove the contested statements from his social media accounts and campaign website by Tuesday.
While the $9,000 fine is a relatively modest penalty for Trump, who has already posted significant bonds for civil judgments, the prospect of imprisonment presents a more serious consequence.
It remains uncertain whether Trump, as a former president under Secret Service protection, would serve time in a New York City jail or be subjected to alternative arrangements like home confinement.
Trump’s trial revolves around accusations of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels, who alleged an affair with him in 2006.
Trump denies the allegations, asserting his innocence in the face of mounting legal challenges as he prepares for a potential rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in the upcoming election.
