In a recent development, former President Trump has been ordered by Manhattan court Judge Juan Merchan to pay $9,000 in fines due to repeated violations of the gag order imposed on him.
Reports from NewsNow indicate that Trump made an appearance in court on Tuesday as the criminal trial related to “hush money” entered its third week.
Last week, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accused Trump of violating the gag order a total of 11 times and urged Judge Merchan to levy a $1,000 fine for each violation. Merchan ruled in favor of the prosecution in nine of these instances.
The gag order, put in place by Merchan on April 1, prohibited Trump from making public statements about witnesses and the family members of specific court officials.
Despite the restrictions, Trump breached the order on nine occasions in recent weeks through social media posts on his Truth Social platform and campaign website, leading to the imposition of a $9,000 fine ($1,000 per violation) along with a directive to remove the offending posts.
In his ruling, Judge Merchan stated that Trump’s actions constituted violations by disclosing details about witnesses and jurors involved in the ongoing criminal proceedings.
Additionally, a stern warning was issued to Trump regarding the potential consequences of further breaches of the gag order, including the possibility of imprisonment.