Out of requirement, former President Donald Trump did something unusual on Tuesday.
He tweeted and deleted.
Trump was reportedly hit with a gag order requiring him to delete a controversial post on Truth Social, a social medium.
The 45th president had posted a photo of the judge’s principal law clerk, Allison Greenfield, posing with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., at a public event.
Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that it was “disgraceful” that Greenfield was working with the judge in the courtroom.
“Schumer’s girlfriend… is running this case against me,” Trump posted, according to screenshots in circulation. “This case should be dismissed immediately!!”
Judge Arthur Engoron imposed the gag order mere hours after the post — and a violation may lead to jail time. Engoron told all participants in the case not to smear court personnel, warning of “serious sanctions” if they did.
“Personal attacks on members of my court staff are unacceptable, not appropriate, and I will not tolerate them,” Engoron said after complaining — without naming names — about a defendant’s ”disparaging, untrue and personally identifying post about a member of my staff.”
According to screenshots in circulation, Trump’s post appears to have included a link to Greenfield’s Instagram page, which is now private.
The post apparently sparked a series of closed-door courtroom discussions, involving Trump and lawyers for both sides, during what’s usually a lunch break. By the time the gag order was issued, Trump had deleted the post — as Engoron ordered.
Schumer’s office said he doesn’t personally know the clerk and that he’s taken photos with thousands of constituents.
The state’s lawsuit alleges that Trump and his business lied about his wealth on financial statements given to banks, insurers, and others.
Prosecutors have accused Trump of fraudulently obtaining lower premiums for insurance policies and more favorable terms for loans. Trump’s defenders have pointed out that, after overvaluing assets, one would pay more in taxes, not less.
Trump, now a presidential candidate, denies the allegations, and he’s described the trial as politically motivated. He called the case a “scam” on Tuesday. The former president isn’t required to attend the trial at this stage, but he’s spoken to reporters at the courthouse, anyway.
New York Attorney General Letitia James, a Democrat, scored an early victory when Engoron, a Democrat, ruled last week that Trump committed fraud by exaggerating the size of his Trump Tower apartment, claiming his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida was worth as much as $739 million and putting similar oversized valuations on office towers, golf courses, and other assets.
The non-jury trial concerns six remaining claims in the lawsuit and how much Trump might owe in penalties. James is seeking $250 million and a ban on Trump doing business in New York. The judge has already ruled that some of Trump’s companies should be dissolved as punishment.
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.