Donald Trump was fined $10,000 on Wednesday after the New York judge overseeing his civil fraud trial said the former U.S. president violated a gag order for a second time.

Justice Arthur Engoron on Oct. 3 barred Trump from disparaging court staff after Trump shared on social media a photo of the judge’s top clerk posing with U.S. Senate Majority leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, and falsely called her Schumer’s “girlfriend.”

During a trial break on Wednesday in the civil lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James concerning Trump’s business practices, Trump told reporters, “This judge is a very partisan judge, with a person who’s very partisan sitting alongside of him, perhaps even much more partisan than he is.”

Engoron, surmising that Trump was referring to his clerk, called the comments a “blatant” violation of the gag order. The judge imposed the fine after Trump briefly took the witness stand to take questions.

    • TechyDad@lemmy.world
      4·
      1 year ago

      My only hope is that the judge is laying a “fair fine” foundation so that any future jail time is appeal proof. If Trump tries to appeal being sent to jail, the judge would be able to say “I gave him a warning. I gave a fine. I have him a slightly larger fine. I gave him more fines. Finally, I had no choice, but to go with jail time.”

      • Mnemnosyne@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        Yeah, that’s pretty likely - also the judge probably doesn’t want those hacks on the Supreme Court to have the slightest figleaf of an excuse to stick their noses into this on appeal.