Former US President Donald Trump has been fined $5,000 by Judge Arthur Engoron, the New York judge overseeing his civil fraud trial, for non-compliance with a partial gag order. The judge sternly warned Trump of potential jail time for any future violations. Engoron’s ruling, issued on Friday, mandates Trump to pay the fine within the next 10 days to the New York Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection.
Judge Engoron’s order stems from a limited gag order placed on Trump on October 3 after he disparaged the judge’s principal law clerk in a social media post on his Truth Social platform. Although the offending post was promptly removed from Truth Social, it remained on a Trump 2024 campaign website for 17 days, violating the imposed gag order.
Engoron emphasized the seriousness of the violation, stating, *“Make no mistake: future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions.”* The judge further highlighted the potential consequences, which could include increased financial penalties, contempt of court charges, and the possibility of imprisonment under New York Judiciary Law.
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The judge acknowledged Trump’s legal team’s claim that the violation was inadvertent but reiterated that even with the benefit of the doubt, Trump had breached the gag order. Engoron emphasized the significance of maintaining order in the current climate, where misinformation can incite real-world harm.
This incident is part of an ongoing legal battle where Trump, alongside his two eldest sons, faces accusations in New York of inflating the Trump Organization’s real estate assets to secure more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.
Trump’s consistent verbal attacks against Judge Engoron have been noted, branding him a “Trump-hating judge.” Despite this, the judge’s initial gag order only prohibited attacks on his court staff. However, in another legal proceeding, US District Judge Tanya Chutkan imposed a partial gag order on Trump, prohibiting public attacks against prosecutors, court staff, or potential witnesses in anticipation of the trial scheduled to commence in Washington in March 2024.
Chutkan temporarily lifted her limited gag order on Friday, giving Trump’s legal team an opportunity to present arguments against imposing further restrictions on the former president’s comments as the trial approaches.
The legal ramifications of Trump’s actions continue to unfold, emphasizing the delicate balance between freedom of speech and maintaining respect for the legal process. The coming days will likely see increased scrutiny of Trump’s public statements as the legal proceedings progress.
