Judge Juan Merchan has fined former US President Donald Trump $9,000 in his ongoing hush money trial.
The fine was imposed for contempt of court due to violations of a gag order. Merchan also warned that continued violations could result in Trump's jail time.
Trump Faces Fine, Possibility of Jail Time in High-Stakes Trial
According to Reuters, Merchan expressed frustration at his inability to impose a higher penalty, stating, "Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment."
The gag order was put in place to prevent Trump from criticizing witnesses and other participants in the trial. Trump was fined $1,000 for nine online statements that violated the order. Posts included derogatory remarks about his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, and claims of jury bias, as reported by Reuters.
Merchan rejected Trump's argument that he could not be held responsible for reposts of material he did not write himself. The judge also ordered Trump to remove the offending statements from his Truth Social account and campaign website.
David Pecker Testifies on Suppressing Trump Stories During 2016 Election
We earlier reported that David Pecker, former publisher of the National Enquirer, testified about his role in suppressing negative stories about Trump during the 2016 election campaign.
As Trump's 'eye and ears,' he promised to notify Trump's lawyer, Michael Cohen, of any damaging information, illustrating a longstanding relationship between Trump and himself.
The prosecution alleges that these efforts constituted illegal interference in the election. Trump is facing charges of falsifying business records to conceal a $130,000 payment to porn star Stormy Daniels. Despite pleas of not guilty, the trial has progressed with testimonies from critical witnesses.
In response to the fine, Trump's lawyer argued that the gag order violated his client's free speech rights. However, Merchan noted the lack of evidence that the statements responded to political attacks.
The $9,000 fine, while relatively small for Trump, raises the stakes in the trial, which could have unprecedented consequences for a former US president. With the possibility of jail time looming, the trial continues to attract attention as it progresses.
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