Donald Trump Held in Contempt, Fined $9,000 for Violating Gag Order in Hush Money Trial

Former President Donald Trump was held in contempt of court and fined $9,000 on Tuesday for violating a gag order nine times in his ongoing criminal trial related to hush money payments to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. Judge Juan Merchan ruled that prosecutors had proven "beyond a reasonable doubt" that Trump violated the order, which barred him from making public statements about potential witnesses, jurors, and others involved in the case.

While violations of the gag order can carry up to 30 days in prison, Judge Merchan only imposed the maximum fine of $1,000 per violation for now. However, he cautioned that future violations could result in imprisonment, stating that the fine alone may not be sufficient to deter Trump from continuing to speak out against witnesses. "Mr. Trump, please be advised that if you continue to violate this court's orders, you may be subject to incarceration," the judge said.

Prosecutors detailed 14 possible violations by Trump, and the judge ordered him to remove seven offending posts from his Truth Social account and two from a campaign website. Trump's attorney argued that the former president was responding to political attacks, but the judge said the attorney was losing credibility. "The more you continue to argue against the plain language of the order, the more you're losing credibility in my eyes," Judge Merchan told Trump's lawyer.

The trial, which began on April 22, is the first time in history that a former U.S. president has been tried on criminal charges. It is related to Trump's alleged falsification of business records to reimburse his former lawyer, Michael Cohen, for the $130,000 paid to Daniels to keep her quiet about an alleged 2006 sexual encounter with Trump, which he denies.

Why this matters: The contempt ruling and fine against Trump in the hush money trial underscore the legal challenges he faces as he campaigns for the White House in 2024. This case is one of several ongoing investigations and trials involving the former president, highlighting the unprecedented situation of a presidential candidate facing criminal charges while seeking office.

Testimony in the trial continued on Tuesday, with witnesses including Gary Farro, a banker who helped Cohen open accounts, including one used to pay Daniels, and Keith Davidson, the former attorney for Daniels who negotiated the hush money deal. The trial is expected to last between six and eight weeks, and Trump is required to attend. Prosecutors have already accused Trump of violating the gag order four more times, and a hearing on those alleged violations is scheduled for Thursday.

Key Takeaways

• Trump held in contempt, fined $9K for violating gag order 9 times.
• Judge warns future violations could result in imprisonment.
• Prosecutors detail 14 possible violations, order removal of 9 posts.
• This is the first criminal trial of a former U.S. president.
• Prosecutors accuse Trump of 4 more gag order violations, hearing set.