New York Judge Juan Merchan again held former President Donald Trump in contempt of court following a series of statements. The former president had previously been fined $9,000 for allegedly violating the gag order placed on him by the judge disallowing him from criticizing court officials or the jury as Trump called the effort unconstitutional.
The judge fined Trump $1,000, arguing that Trump allegedly broke the terms of the gag order again.
The judge also threatened the former president with jail time if he continued to violate the gag order.
“This court will have to consider a jail sanction,” said the judge. “At the end of the day, I have a job to do. Part of that job is to protect the dignity of the justice system.”
Merchan further called Trump’s actiona “direct attack on the rule of law. I cannot allow that to continue.”
The decision came after accusations from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg (D) that the former president had violated the gag order four times. Bragg’s legal team argued that Trump had made improper statements about his former attorney Michael Cohen and former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker.
Trump called the decision a “political hoax.”
The former president continued his criticism of the current case against him on social media. He called the current case a “Witch Hunt” and “FALSE ANCIENT HISTORY.”
This Witch Hunt is FALSE ANCIENT HISTORY that was fully adjudicated by the Voters in the 2016 Presidential Election. It only has to do with Election Interference, and trying to help Crooked Joe Biden get elected because he can’t do it by himself. It is a vicious attack by the…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) May 7, 2024
“It only has to do with Election Interference, and trying to help Crooked Joe Biden get elected because he can’t do it by himself. It is a vicious attack by the Soros backed D.A., Alvin Bragg, in strict coordination with the D.O.J. and the White House, on Biden’s Political Opponent, ME,” he wrote.
“IT IS ILLEGAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL AND STRICTLY THIRD WORLD COUNTRY!” the former president wrote on Truth Social.
The former president previously argued that Merchan’s decision attempted to “take away my Rights.”
He also called the gag order “vicious” and said that it was “wrongfully attempting to deprive” him of his “First Amendment Right to speak out against the Weaponization of Law Enforcement, including the fact that Crooked Joe Biden, Merrick Garland and their Hacks and Thugs are tracking and following me all across the Country, obsessively trying to persecute me, while everyone knows I have done nothing wrong!”
