Former U.S. President Donald Trump was fined $5,000 by a New York state judge, Judge Arthur Engoron, for breaching a gag order in his ongoing civil trial for alleged fraud. This fine was imposed following the issuance of a social media silence order on October 3, which prohibited the ex-president and other involved parties from making public statements about court personnel, prompted by a derogatory post made by Trump about Judge Engoron’s clerk.
On October 3, Trump removed the post from Truth Social just hours after publishing it, shortly before the gag order came into effect. However, the same post remained accessible on Trump’s campaign website until Thursday when it was initially brought to public attention on social media.
Trump’s attorney, Christopher Kise, issued an apology after Judge Engoron expressed concerns about the post at the trial’s outset on Friday. Kise explained that leaving the post up had been an unintended error.
Engoron said in a written order that the “effect of the post on its subject is unmitigated” by the reasons why the post was left up on the website, and after giving Trump “ample warning” about what would happen if he violated the gag order, “issuing yet another warning is no longer appropriate; this Court is way beyond the ‘warning’ stage.”
Though Engoron suggested at the trial Friday that the “blatant violation” of his order could result in more severe sanctions against Trump—including “jail time”, the judge said in his written order that he would only impose a “nominal” fine, given that attorneys’ position that it was a mistake and the fact it is a “first time violation.”
The judge suggested Trump could still face more serious consequences if he ever violates the gag order again whether “intentional[ly] or unintentional[ly]”—which Engoron said could include “steeper financial penalties, holding Donald Trump in contempt of court, and possibly imprisoning him.”
“In the current overheated climate, incendiary untruths can, and in some cases already have, led to serious physical harm, and worse,” Engoron wrote.
The trial in progress aims to establish whether Trump and his business associates engaged in fraudulent activities by intentionally misrepresenting the values of their assets on financial documents for personal benefit. The trial is anticipated to continue until mid-December.
If they are found responsible during the trial, Judge Engoron has the authority to impose penalties on Trump and his associates, which may include his sons.
Additionally, the state has requested a $250 million penalty and a prohibition on the former president from participating in the management of New York-based businesses or engaging in commercial real estate transactions.