By Jerald Jimenez
Apr 30, 2024, 10:28 AM EDT
Former President Donald Trump has been fined $9,000 by Judge Juan Merchán for repeatedly violating a gag order. The order was imposed on April 1 and prohibits Trump from speaking publicly about certain witnesses and family members of judicial officials.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg asked Judge Juan Merchán to fine him $11,000, accusing him of violating 11 gag orders, $1,000 for each violation. However, the judge supported the prosecutor’s request in nine of these cases.
Bragg’s office highlighted multiple social media posts and press appearances in which Trump criticized or shared criticism of former attorney Michael Cohen and actress Stormy Daniels. Both individuals are serving as witnesses in a case against Trump.
Trump’s criminal trial in New York is based on charges of falsifying business records in the first degree. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg brought charges against Trump on the basis that the alleged falsification of records was done “in furtherance of another crime.”
Last April, Trump pleaded not guilty to the 34 charges imposed by the prosecution in relation to the falsification of records for the alleged hush payment that his then lawyer Michael Cohen made to the porn actress Stormy Daniels, to try to cover up a alleged sexual encounter, and prevent this from staining the 2016 presidential campaign, in which he ended up defeating Hillary Clinton.
With information from Fox News / ABC News