Donald Trump expects his trial to begin on Tuesday. Photo: SETH WENIG/POOL/AP PHOTO
Donald Trump has been warned he could be jailed if he continues to violate a gag order barring him from attacking jurors, court staff and witnesses in his trial for keeping quiet.
On Tuesday, the former president was held in contempt of court and fined $9,000 for violating the order nine times in a series of posts on Truth Social, his own social network, and his campaign website.
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Juan Merchan, the judge overseeing the criminal trial, said he would “not tolerate” further violations and would “impose a custodial sentence if necessary and appropriate.”
In a campaign email sent to supporters shortly after the ruling, Trump criticized Judge Merchan, who is not protected by a gag order, and called him a “Democrat judge.”
“I was fined $9,000. for 9 violations of the order of silence,” he said. “They want to silence me.”
Last week, prosecutors said the Republican presidential candidate violated court orders 10 times.
The offensive messages included attacks on key witnesses Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, and Stormy Daniels, the porn star whose alleged tryst with Trump and subsequent $130,000 payout are at the center of the case.
In his article on Truth Social Trump accused Merchan of being a “highly controversial judge” who is “rigging” the election.
“I am the only presidential candidate in history to be gagged,” he wrote.
Judge calls defense argument 'absurd'
Judge Merchan rejected defense argument that reposting articles and comments on social media is not counted, saying it was “illogical and even absurd.” He also expressed disdain for Trump's claims that he was responding to attacks from his rivals.
“Simply characterizing each of [the] defendant's posts as responding to a 'political attack' does not make them so. – the judge wrote.
Judge Merchan also suggested that he would like to be able to punish Trump with a fine of up to $150,000 per violation instead of prison time, but that is not available under judicial law. Criminal contempt of court is only punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 or 30 days in jail for each violation.
According to him, in such cases it would be “preferable” to impose a fine “more commensurate with the property.” violator,” such as a fine of up to $150,000 per violation.
Trump was ordered to remove seven offensive posts from his Truth Social account and two posts from his campaign website by this afternoon . Another hearing on further alleged wrongdoing will be held on Wednesday.
Yesterday the jury heard from Keith Davidson, the lawyer who negotiated the secret deals with Ms Daniels and Karen McDougal, the former Playboy model.He said Ms McDougal's alleged sexual affair with Mr Trump lasted “months, if not longer.” >The forensic artist's sketch shows Donald Trump watching as Keith Davidson, the lawyer who represented two women who claimed they had sexual encounters with him, testify. Photo: JANE ROSENBERG/REUTERS
Jurors were shown several text messages. from 2016 between Mr. Davidson and Dylan Howard, an editor at the National Enquirer, as they negotiated a deal to buy Ms. McDougal's article during Mr. Trump's presidential campaign.
“I have a story Trump Blockbuster,” Mr. Davidson wrote to Mr. Howard. The journalist replied: “Say the first thing. For this I will get more from you than anyone else. You know why.”
In later reports, Mr. Davidson asked for more than $1 million for the rights to Ms. McDougal's story, but Mr. Howard rebuffed him, saying he was thinking “more about hundreds than millions.”
< p> “Add the position of ambassador here.” for me. I mean the Isle of Man,” Mr. Davidson said in another message he read in the courtroom.
The lawyer said it was a “joke” about Mr. Trump’s campaign, “ that somehow, if Karen made this deal… that it would help Donald Trump's candidacy.”
During his testimony, Mr. Davidson said he believed Cohen's failure to pay $130,000 for the secret Ms. Daniels' deal was because he was “trying to kick the can down the road before the election is over.”
Mr Trump is charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to Ms Daniels in exchange for her silence about a sexual encounter she claimed to have had with him in 2006.
>He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and denies sexual contact with Ms. Daniels and Ms. McDougal.
The trial is ongoing.
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