In the New York hush money trial, the judge has found Donald Trump in contempt of court for violating a gag order nine times. This violated the order that prohibited Trump from discussing individuals involved in the trial in public or on social media. Judge Juan Merchan fined Trump $1,000 for each violation, totaling $9,000.
Additionally, Trump was ordered to remove seven posts from his Truth Social account and two from a campaign website by Tuesday afternoon. The judge warned Trump that further violations could result in jail time.
The trial has entered its third week, with witness testimony ongoing. The charges against Trump relate to falsifying business records involving hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels. Trump denies any wrongdoing and his lawyers argue he was acting within the law.
Former tabloid publisher David Pecker previously testified that he worked with Trump to suppress negative stories about him during the 2016 presidential campaign. Prosecutors allege that Trump’s actions were part of illegal efforts to influence the election.
This trial is one of four criminal indictments Trump currently faces. Despite the outcome, these proceedings are historically significant as Trump is the first US president to ever face criminal prosecution.