The former president of the United States, Donald Trump, has been fined $5,000 (about 4,700 euros) by a New York judge for violating the gag order that required him not to speak about any of the court workers and now He has been warned twice of possible imprisonment.
“Donald Trump has received ample warning from this court of the possible repercussions of violating a gag order. He specifically acknowledged that he understood it and would comply,” Judge Arthur Engoron said this Friday and was reported by CNN.
“Consequently, it is no longer appropriate to issue a new warning; this court is well behind the ‘warning’ stage,” he said.
On the second day of the trial, October 3, Engoron issued a partial gag order so that neither party would speak about any of the members of the court after Trump made a post on the Truth social network attacking an employee of the court. judge. The publication claimed she was the “girlfriend” of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York, showing a photo of the two together.
The post was removed from Truth just after the gag order was issued, but it was not deleted from the Trump campaign website.
In court, Engoron admonished the former president’s lawyer for an “obvious violation” of the gag order and suggested that such a violation could end in “prison.”
“I have learned that the post was never removed from the website,” he said, adding that, “in fact, it has been on the website for the last 17 days.” “I understand it was deleted last night, but only in response to an email,” she concluded.
Trump’s lawyer, Chris Kise, has apologized to Engoron, saying she has gone “unnoticed” on what he called a “back page” of the defendant’s campaign website. “I certainly apologize on behalf of my client.”
Likewise, Kise has blamed the large campaign machinery and has assured the judge that Trump ordered the publication to be deleted. “There was no intention to avoid or ignore the order,” she said.
For his part, the judge has responded that he will take “this under advice.” “I want to make it clear that Donald Trump is still responsible for the big machine, even if it is a very big machine,” he said, adding that “in today’s overheated climate, inflammatory lies can and in some cases have already led to serious physical harm.” and worse things.”
In Friday’s order, the judge repeated his warning in clear terms: “Make no mistake: future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will lead the offender to much more severe sanctions, which may include, but are not limited to, this, greater financial penalties, charging Donald Trump with contempt of court and possibly imprisoning him.”
