Judge fines former president $9,000 for insulting New York court

Judge Juan M. Merchán, in charge of the criminal process that the Republican is facing in New York, determined that Trump had violated the ‘gag order’ by making several public statements on his social network, Truth Social, and on the website of his campaign in which he attacked witnesses participating in the trial.

Each infraction was punished with $1,000 and he was ordered to remove “the offensive comments” no later than Tuesday afternoon, seven of which were posted on his Truth Social platform and two on his campaign website for the November presidential election.

(Also: ‘I’m ready and I see myself capable, but I don’t see him that way’: Trump accepts Biden’s proposal to hold a presidential debate)

Trump, who is required to attend the entire trial, appeared in court on Tuesday accompanied by his son Eric Trump.

The mogul faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records in the first degree to cover up a sex scandal.
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​Trump is the first former president of the United States to face criminal charges, and his required court attendance is limiting full-time dedication to the electoral campaign less than seven months before his expected rematch with the American president, Democrat Joe Biden, who beat him in 2020.

The billionaire is accused of falsifying business records to reimburse his then-lawyer, Michael Cohen, for $130,000 funneled to Daniels just days before the 2016 election, in which he defeated Democrat Hillary Clinton.

Daniels, 45, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford, was threatening at the time to go public with her story about an alleged sexual encounter with Trump in 2006 that could have derailed her White House campaign.

Trump denies having sexual relations with Daniels and has used appearances outside the Manhattan courtroom to criticize her impeachment, saying it constitutes a “witch hunt” launched by Democrats to torpedo his bid to regain the presidency.