Eko hot blogreports that In a courtroom showdown, former President Trump faced the wrath of Manhattan court Judge Juan Merchan, who slapped him with a $9,000 fine for repeatedly flouting a gag order.
This comes as Trump’s “hush money” trial enters its third intense week.
The trial, which has gripped headlines, saw Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accusing Trump of violating the order a staggering 11 times just last week.
Seeking accountability, Bragg urged Judge Merchan to impose fines of $1,000 for each transgression.
Judge Merchan, agreeing with prosecutors, ruled in favor on nine counts of violation.
The gag order, issued by Merchan on April 1, aimed to restrain Trump from making public statements regarding witnesses and the families of specific court officials.
Despite this, the judge pointed out that Trump repeatedly flouted the order through social media posts on his Truth Social platform and campaign website.
In his scathing rebuke, Merchan highlighted Trump’s disregard for the court’s instructions, stating that he “violated the Order by making social media posts about known witnesses pertaining to their participation in this criminal proceeding and by making public statements about jurors in this criminal proceeding.”
As a consequence, Trump was fined $9,000, with each violation costing him $1,000, and ordered to remove the offending posts.
Furthermore, Merchan delivered a stern warning, cautioning Trump of potential imprisonment for any future violations of the gag order.