A New York judge has fined Donald Trump $5,000 (£4,100) for violating a gag order in his civil fraud trial, demonstrating that even former presidents are not exempt from legal consequences. Judge Arthur Engoron reprimanded Trump in court for failing to remove an online post that mocked a court clerk. The judge even went so far as to threaten Trump with jail time if he did not delete the “untrue and disparaging” post about the clerk, emphasizing the potential harm that incendiary falsehoods can cause. While the post had been removed from social media, it remained on Trump’s website. In a ruling later in the day, Judge Engoron acknowledged that the violation was unintentional and a first-time offense, resulting in a fine. However, the judge warned that future violations would face much harsher penalties, including steeper financial consequences, holding Trump in contempt of court, and even imprisonment.
The ongoing civil trial, overseen by Judge Engoron, aims to determine the damages resulting from the fraud committed by Trump. It has been established that Trump inflated his personal net worth to secure favorable loan agreements. New York Attorney General Letitia James, who brought the case against Trump, is seeking penalties worth $250 million (£205 million) and severe restrictions on his businesses. The gag order against Trump was implemented on 3 October after he made a derogatory post about the judge’s clerk on his social media platform, Truth Social. Trump shared a misleading photo of the clerk and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer together, falsely claiming they were in a relationship. This is not the first instance of the judge admonishing Trump during the trial. On a previous occasion, Judge Engoron reprimanded Trump and others for disruptive behavior in court. Trump’s legal troubles extend beyond this fraud case, as he faces multiple federal and state criminal charges throughout the year.
Additional reporting by Pratiksha Ghildial
