Title: Donald Trump Fined $10,000 for Violating Gag Order in Civil Fraud Trial
Subtitle: Former President Donald Trump found in contempt of court after making disparaging remarks about court staff and violating gag order for the second time
NEW YORK, Oct 25 (Reuters) – Former U.S. President Donald Trump has been fined $10,000 by a New York judge for violating a gag order in his ongoing civil fraud trial. Justice Arthur Engoron imposed the original gag order on Oct. 3 after Trump shared a photo on social media falsely referring to his judge’s top clerk as “girlfriend” to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. This is the second time Trump has violated the gag order.
During a break in the trial on Wednesday, Trump made remarks to reporters, calling Justice Engoron a “very partisan judge” with a “partisan” person sitting alongside him. Justice Engoron determined that Trump was referring to his clerk and deemed these comments a “blatant” violation of the gag order.
Michael Cohen, Trump’s former lawyer and fixer, testified for the second day against his former boss. Before being fined, Trump briefly took the witness stand and claimed that he was referring to Justice Engoron and Cohen during his hallway remarks, but the judge rejected this explanation.
Engoron’s clerk has been present throughout the trial, alongside the judge, which is customary in New York state courts. Trump’s attorney, Alina Habba, accused the clerk of rolling her eyes during Cohen’s testimony, calling it “completely inappropriate.”
Engoron had previously fined Trump $5,000 on Oct. 20 for failing to remove a post criticizing the clerk and warned of more severe sanctions, including jail time, for future infractions. The judge firmly stated that any comments directed against his staff are “unacceptable, inappropriate, and will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
Trump, who is currently the frontrunner for the Republican nomination in the 2024 U.S. election, left the courtroom after being fined.
The civil trial, brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, alleges that Trump and his family business, the Trump Organization, manipulated asset values and net worth to deceive lenders and insurers. The outcome of the trial could potentially impact Trump’s business empire.
Cohen, who has become a vocal critic of Trump since severing ties with him, testified that Trump inflated the value of his real estate assets to secure favorable insurance premiums. He also claimed that Trump doctored financial statements to match his desired property values.
During cross-examination, Cohen acknowledged having a financial incentive to criticize his former boss but defended his credibility, denying that he exaggerated stories about Trump for personal gain.
Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the case and defended the valuations of his properties. He has also pleaded not guilty in four other criminal cases this year.
While Cohen’s testimony could strengthen the attorney general’s case, his history of deceit may undermine his credibility before Justice Engoron, who will ultimately decide the trial’s outcome. In 2018, Cohen pleaded guilty to tax fraud, campaign finance violations, and perjury, resulting in a three-year prison sentence.
Before the trial commenced on Oct. 2, Justice Engoron ruled that Trump had fraudulently inflated his net worth and ordered the dissolution of companies controlling key properties in Trump’s real estate portfolio, including Trump Tower in Manhattan. However, this ruling is currently being appealed.
The trial primarily focuses on determining damages. Attorney General James seeks fines of at least $250 million, a permanent ban on Trump and his sons from running businesses in New York, and a five-year ban on commercial real estate for Trump and the Trump Organization.
Reporting by Jack Queen and Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Noeleen Walder and Will Dunham