Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing former President Donald Trump’s hush money case, ruled Trump was in contempt of court for violating his gag order nine times.
Merchan fined Trump $9,000 for his recent posts on Truth Social and his campaign website, in the judge ruled was an attacked on prospective jurors and prosecutors’ expected star witnesses, including Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen.
The judge also warned Trump that additional violations could result in jail time.
“Defendant is hereby warned that the Court will not tolerate continued willful violations of its lawful orders and that if necessary and appropriate under the circumstances, it will impose an incarceratory punishment,” Merchan wrote in his ruling. He also ordered Trump to remove the offending posts from Truth Social and his campaign website.
During a hearing on the matter, tensions ran high between the judge and Trump’s attorney, Todd Blanche. At one point, Merchan told Blanche that he was “losing all credibility” with the court.
The gag order was put in place at the request of prosecutors to restrict Trump’s speech as the case headed to trial. Trump is barred from making public statements about witnesses concerning their involvement in the case and jurors. He is also prohibited from complaining about bias among court staff, prosecutors, and others.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office claimed Trump violated the gag order 10 times in the days leading up to and during jury selection. They urged the judge to fine Trump $1,000 for each violation and demand that he take the posts down.
Most of the posts in question concerned Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer who is expected to be a key witness for the prosecution. Trump reposted a New York Post op-ed that cast Cohen as a “serial perjurer” and referred to Cohen and Stormy Daniels, the porn actress at the center of the hush money case, as “two sleaze bags.”
Trump has strongly opposed the gag order, arguing that it violates his First Amendment right to free speech. He has appealed the order, but it remains in effect for now.
Trump’s lawyers had also argued that many of the posts were merely reposts of other people’s words and not Trump’s own. However, the judge rejected this argument, stating that “under the unique facts and circumstances of this case, the only credible finding is that the reposts constitute statements of the Defendant.”
Prosecutors have separately accused Trump of violating the gag order an additional four times, and a hearing is set for Thursday to discuss those alleged violations. If found in violation, Trump could face up to $1,000 in fines per violation and potentially 30 days in jail.
Trump has faced gag orders and fines in his other legal matters as well, including a $15,000 fine in his New York civil fraud trial for skirting the judge’s directive. He also faces a gag order in his federal election interference case in Washington, D.C.