The former US president, Donald Trump, found himself facing a $5,000 fine and the looming threat of jail time after failing to comply with a partial gag order issued by Judge Arthur Engoron, who presides over Trump’s civil fraud trial. The judge handed down the penalty on Friday and instructed Trump to pay it within the next 10 days to the New York Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection.
In a stern court filing, Judge Engoron cautioned, “Make no mistake: future violations, whether intentional or unintentional, will subject the violator to far more severe sanctions.” He emphasized that these sanctions could encompass steeper financial penalties, holding Trump in contempt of court, and potentially imprisoning him under New York Judiciary Law.
The partial gag order was first imposed by Judge Engoron on October 3, following a social media post by Trump on his Truth Social platform, where he insulted the judge’s principal law clerk. Although the offensive post was swiftly removed from Truth Social, it remained on a Trump 2024 campaign website for 17 days, until the court requested its removal on Thursday.
Trump’s legal team argued that the violation of the gag order was “inadvertent,” but Judge Engoron asserted, “Giving the defendant the benefit of the doubt, he still violated the gag order.” He cited concerns about the potential consequences of incendiary and false statements, especially in the current heated political climate.
In the ongoing New York case, Trump and his two eldest sons are accused of inflating the value of Trump Organization’s real estate assets to obtain more favorable bank loans and insurance terms.
Notably, Trump has been a vocal critic of Judge Engoron, branding him a “Trump-hating judge.” However, the judge’s gag order specifically targeted attacks on his court staff, not him personally.
Additionally, Trump faces another partial gag order imposed by US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is set to preside over his trial for conspiring to overturn the 2020 presidential election. This order, issued on Monday, forbids Trump from publicly attacking prosecutors, court staff, or potential witnesses in advance of the trial scheduled for March 2024.
On Friday, Judge Chutkan temporarily lifted her limited gag order to allow Trump’s legal team the opportunity to argue against further restrictions on his comments as his case progresses toward trial.
